


Book 1: A fairy Tale

by mothraisnotapokemon



Series: In The Mouth Of Madness [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Creepy Behavior, Dark, Demonic Possession, Human Sacrifice, Humor, Manipulation, missuse of Supernatural, missuse of Vampire Diaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-06 11:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5414513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothraisnotapokemon/pseuds/mothraisnotapokemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started with a love story, a promise of being together forever but it ended with a Fox falling in love, protecting and then merging with a human.  </p><p>.........................Or.............</p><p>Two children sacrificed because of the potential, the curiosity and innocence each held, but one, one stubborn child refused to let go. That stubborn child then corrupts a demon, makes it just like him, till it is him.</p><p>Prequel 1 of 4 to : In The Mouth of Madness</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fox Named Void

Void had never been special. 

He, like his siblings, was born in the spring; he was not the runt of the litter or its pride. He was the fourth pup born in a litter of seven. His fur was the same spotted mixture as his other siblings with the same eyes of amber that were well known of his kind, a Finnish demon fox, as the older ones in the their skulk called them. It was their type of demon, weaker than the others, they held some magic, but it was their cunning that set them apart. They couldn’t use magic to take human form, or shed theirs for another; they weren’t even born able to shift between the two. They were demon foxes and remained simply as foxes, with the ability to speak and have humanistic tendencies, as his mother had proudly explained to him and his siblings. 

They were tricksters, but rarely was their kind evil. 

Even his name wasn’t special; his mother had named all his siblings after a version of the same word. She claimed the word Void had amazed her, this word meant nothing but it also meant to want. He had understood but compared to others whose names were simple, like George, well, it had been his and his siblings bonding moment. 

Which is why to him that is was strange that even before he was old enough to open his eyes, he was being stalked by a hound. 

His mother had thought it to be adorable, that one of her pups was already with a mate. He didn’t share the same feelings; the hound was strange. The Hound always followed him; left him presents, and snarled at any, even his own siblings, who came close to him. 

His mother had tried to nudge him in the hounds direction a few times, laughing at what she thought to be adorable antics, his father had only rolled his eyes and remarked that “that Derek, is strange one.”, Void agreed. 

Void wished that he had friends; instead he had siblings who had always seemed very willing, like he was, to defend each other against the dangers of living in a world populated by monsters and demons.  
But they tended to abandon him the moment Derek arrived to continue with his stalking. It had left him annoyed since all the pack talk his father had given them meant absolutely nothing in the face of Derek Hale approaching. So Void had taken it upon his now two month old self to simply avoid Derek

Derek had taken it as Void playing a game of catch me. Continuously chasing him down and pouncing, sometimes even laying down on him to keep him still, so Derek could just stare at him. Once even having the audacity to lift him from the scruff and carry him to the church, to take him to the other side, to Derek’s home. Void had whined and let out little cries till Derek had stopped, lowered Void and started to nuzzle at him, huffing in what he supposed was meant to be comforting. 

It wasn’t and Derek had carried Void home, back to his den in the hallowed tree where his mother was waiting.  
…..

“He’s so attentive.” Voids mother, had cooed as he remained in his spot against her flank, it was safe here. In their nice den of a hallow tree, he had only scoffed at her words and let himself try to absorb her warmth. “Just yesterday he was bringing you the livers of athletes; you should give him a chance.” 

Void turned his head so it pressed against her, and let out another scoff, Derek had brought him livers and then forced him to eat them, Void had shared the livers with Derek when he had become full, a mistake on his part. Since Derek had continued to preen, acting like his father when mother praised him. It had been traumatic, but he had been to full to care and curled himself around Derek to sleep. Because Derek was warm, that was his story and he was sticking to it. 

“He tried to take me home with him.” Void reminded her. 

His mother the one that had bore him, raised him and nurtured him had let out a laugh. “The moment you let out your first cry he howled in return.” She let out a sigh, “I can only enjoy the time I have with you, when you’re simply my pup, till you leave us and join his pack.” His mother’s tail wrapped itself around him, “I think you’ll be very happy with him Void.” 

“I’m not joining his pack. I’m staying here in the den, with you.” Void reminded her, letting out a yawn and ignoring the laughs his mother continued to have at his expense. Void drifted off enjoying his time with his mother before his traitorous siblings came in and tried to pile on him.  
………………

Derek had been in his bedroom, alone, sitting at his desk browsing through his yearbook. 

It wasn’t his fault; he had found his mate and was just trying, continuously, to bring him home. Void had simply over reacted, again, he couldn’t help that Void was still a pup, or a fox. He was old enough to be separated from his mother, but did he want to leave. No, Void cried and cried till Derek took him back to his mother, and then looked at Derek with his amber eyes and went right back to playing his never ending game of catch me. Everything was perfect till he tried to take Void out of Oak Creek. They played together, napped together, groomed each other and ate together. Derek closed the yearbook and just placed his head on the desk. He had been alone in his room sulking, until his sister had barged in.

Laura had been sympathetic to his problem the first few times. She had given him assurances that it would be alright, that Void was still young and everything else she could think of, to try and make him feel better. She had even offered to bring the stubborn pup to their home, herself, but now after his failed 13th attempt she had just come to laugh at his misery.  
“So how was attempt number, what is it now, 13 at getting Void here.” Laura asked him, finding the situation too amusing. “I especially liked it when he demanded that you take him back home to his mother. And you did!” 

“He was crying.” Derek reminded her. 

“Of course he’s going to cry Derek! He’s a pup, but he’s your mate and he has to learn now that his place is here or later on it’s just going to be confusing to him and he’ll never call this place home.” Laura reminded him, again, just like his mother had been reminding him, and his father, and nearly everyone else in his pack. He only scowled at her in response, she didn’t understand, he didn’t like seeing Void cry, it felt like had failed when it happened. Laura only sighed at him and shook her head, opening the yearbook to look at the one picture Derek had circled. 

“Isn’t that Paige Matthews?” 

“She’s going to be Void soon.” 

“Does Void know that you want him to be a her?”

Derek only glared at her. 

Laura stared at him and sighed. “Just try and bring him home first.”

Derek glare combined with his scowl, because really what did everyone think he was doing. 

Laura looked at him and just straight out laughed.  
…..

Peter was writing again, all could hear the furious scramble of a pen on paper trying to keep up with the writer’s thoughts. Talia was a little concerned; it seemed Peter was locking himself away just a little bit more than usual. Normally he at least ate dinner with them, this time he was taking all his meals in his room, and their mother was letting him. 

“Leave your brother alone.” 

Talia turned to look at her mother, the patriarch and alpha, who seemed more concerned in seeing what happened in her “stories” that played on the TV than what was happening in the house. 

“He’s been up locked up in his room for a whole week, just writing, it’s not healthy mom.” Talia stated in annoyance. 

“Peter is just creative.” 

Talia rolled her eyes and winced as she heard Laura once again laughing at Derek’s expense. This was her family- it sometimes made her wonder why her clan was so feared. If they only knew what happened in the actual house when no one was around to threaten or disembowel. 

“And tell Derek I think it’s adorable that Void makes him work for it!!” 

Talia could hear her son and herself sigh at the same time. 

“Mom, I don’t think he’s old enough to manipulate Derek like that, he’s just a pup.” 

“Yeah! He still cries for him mommy and everything!!” Laura yelled back. 

“Well, tell Derek to offer him some sweets that always works on children.” 

“MOM!” Talia scolded. 

“What kind?” Derek and Laura asked at the same time. 

Talia raised her head and arms up to the ceiling wondering how this had even become her life, she was a predator, one that all feared and this conversation was happening in her kitchen. 

“Anything with peanut butter, he’ll be so distracted with eating it-he’ll never notice you brought him here.” 

Aside from Peter and his writing, they could hear the two siblings whispering to each other hatching a plan. 

“Mom, you can’t just…” but Talia was interrupted by the volume on the TV being raised and her mother scolding her. 

“Not now dear, Damon is about to save Elena.”  
…………………………..

Derek did listen to the wise words of his grandmother and left to Oak Creek in his human form instead of his hound, it would make Void curious and the cookies he brought would seal the deal. He was bringing Void home today. He exited the church and was not surprised that no one was around to greet him. He had at some times been delusional enough to believe that his dear mate would one day be waiting for him, but as was usual with his fox, he would have to chase him down. Triple checking that the cookies were still in pocket he headed off in search of Void.  
…………

Void, who had been abandoned by his siblings the moment Derek had entered Oak Creek, was calmly just sunning in a meadow by a stream. There were lakes here but it was siren territory and they were equal opportunists when it came to what was edible. Letting out a yawn the fox curled around himself, he would have scampered off but his spot was perfect, and he was not giving it up. Even if Derek was approaching him on two instead of four legs, that had Void looking up. He had seen human forms before, some of the older residents still wore theirs here, but he had never seen Derek’s. 

“Hi, I brought you some cookies…my grandma made them.” 

He had also never heard him speak; trotting over to the human hound he sniffed at him. He almost smelled the same, just a little changes but that was expected. Derek lifted him-which made Void struggle for a quick second before he heard the same rumble that Derek always gave when they were together- up using one arm to cradle him as he used his other hand to open the bag containing the cookies. Void was sniffing at him and nosing at the hair around his ear, it felt different than fur, and it smelt like flowers. Derek used his cheek to nuzzle him back before he had the bag open enough to let Void sniff at the cookies. Derek felt like he was holding his breath, just waiting for this whole plan to go down in flames and for him to go home once again, with no mate. But for once, Void was being agreeable and started sniffing at the bag, before he seemed to be trying to shove his whole head into it. Derek waited till Void began eating at first with tentative bites, then trying to eat the cookies with minimum chewing and large bites. Once Void was distracted, Derek walked slowly and allowed Void to keep his nuzzle buried in the gallon sized zip lock bag that contained 52 cookies. 

Void ate the cookies, having to chew them before starting a new one, they were so delicious, and Derek had been so nice to bring him these, not that he was going to share because he wasn’t, he was going to eat every last one of them. Once they were all gone, he’d whine at Derek till he brought him more. 

He had been so distracted with his treat, that he didn’t notice until he heard a door slam that he wasn’t in the meadow after all, he was in the church being carried towards the cracked door. He looked up at Derek with curious eyes and was distracted again by Derek shifting the bag with those cookies. Void immediately dove back in for those abandoned cookies that wished to join the others in his stomach, he didn’t notice when Derek let out a sigh of relief or continued walking. He just ate and ate, till he couldn’t ignore that everything was suddenly different. 

The smells even the feeling that was washing over him and the sounds were different and new. He heard voices that he had never heard before , he tried to push himself closer to Derek, but once he looked up and saw the proud smug smirk on his stupid human face, he did the only thing he could in that situation. He bit him hard on the cheek, then hid once he was released.


	2. Never Trust A Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It doesn't matter if you believe or don't, sometimes those stories we're told are the only thing that can protect us.

Laura was enjoying this. 

Derek was sulking around the house, whining to everyone that would listen that his mate was being mean. While Void remained in the cellar staying hidden in the wide overlapping maze of the Nemeton roots, the only one he let near him was their grandmother because she always brought him sweets. He didn’t trust anything Derek brought him going so far as to howl mournfully. Letting everyone know that he felt betrayed by Derek, he had been but that wasn’t the point. 

So Laura was sitting at the kitchen table eating leftovers as she listened to the whining from Derek and the yipping barks from Void, who could speak but was refusing to, unless he was speaking to their grandmother. Who was baking cookies in the kitchen and watching her “story” on the laptop. 

“So….did you already place your bet?” Laura asked. 

“Of course, I was the first one to.” 

Laura frowned; she hadn’t placed her bet yet. Once Derek had been chased out of the cellar by a angry pup with sharp teeth and claws, their father had declared it was betting time. All of the pack was involved, selecting days on the calendar in her parents study and adding money to the betting pool, while Derek glared and stomped off to sulk in his room because he could never catch a break. 

“I’m thinking maybe four months, how does that sound?” 

Her grandmother smiled, “That’s too long dear, I was talking to Peter and we both believe at the end of next week Void will be lounging on the couch and forcing Derek to share his room.” 

Laura just stared; her grandmother and uncle had this uncanny ability to be right. “So next week, like on a Tuesday or something..” 

Her grandmother smiled wider, “You can choose dear.”  
……………..

Derek was sitting on the cellars sand floor, he could make out Voids glowing amber eyes. Both boys were just staring at each other, Derek was refusing to apologize again, since he had been the one who had a chunk of his cheek torn out. That had taken three days to heal, he had missed practice and the coach had accepted that Derek was out due to injury from a new pet, coach even had the gall what type of cat it was. 

Void let out a whine again, this one low and pathetic like he was in pain and scared. Derek rolled his shoulders, he needed to be strong, his father had told him so. His mother had smiled and congratulated him on bringing his mate home while she had carefully bandaged his injury. 

“You can’t just stay down here.” Derek snapped, “And I’m not taking you back, because, ...because this is your home now, this is your pack and I'm your mate!” 

Voids eyes narrowed before he let out a loud mewling noise, calling for his mother and that made Derek feel like he was the worst person in the universe.  
……………

Gemin was excited, he was going to be seven soon. 

Almost a grown up, his father had promised to make him a special deputy and let him work the lights on his cruiser. Scott was excited as well because he was sharing Gemin’s birthday this year, till his dad got better. 

“Dad says we can eat cake and ice cream at the station!! Mom even said she’d make paczki and sernik just for us, we don’t have to share it with anyone!” Gemin boasted to his best friend. Scott looked confused for a second; Gemin patted him on the shoulder. “The doughnuts and fruit cheesecake.” After that clarification, Scott smiled so wide Gemin was afraid he might break his cheeks. 

“I like those.” 

Gemin nodded, because he liked those too. 

“You think my mom can make it to the party?” Scott asked, sure he was glad to be staying over at his best friend’s house but he missed his mom and dad. He didn’t really know why they were fighting, it was his fault after all, he had upset his dad after he had been drinking his medicine after a long case. 

“Dude, duh. It’s at the station; of course she’s welcome there.” Scott smiled, pleased at his friends’ confirmation and missing the little flinch on Gemin’s face. He might not remember what had happened, but Gemin did and he made sure to scream bloody murder and stranger danger whenever Mr. McCall entered his field of vision. “Wanna play some smash bros?” 

Scott nodded. 

Down stairs the Stilinskis’ were listening in on the conversation over the baby monitor they had left in Gemin’s room. Being able to get away with it by swearing to both boys separately it was in case the other had nightmares. 

“Melissa swears he doesn’t remember any of it, not even the trip to the ER and the stitches.” Claudia replied as she listened to the two boys play, John nodded as he drank his coffee and enjoyed his time with his wife before it was time to head out for his shift. “My Dad called today, said he was going to some seer for Gemin’s fortune.” 

John resisted rolling his eyes, he had met his wife’s parent several of times, especially after Gemin was born, he understood that they were very devoted to the old ways, that was one of the major arguments between his wife and her parents. Claudia wasn’t a believer but her parents were and they swore that Gemin was special; a very special boy whose spark could light even the darkest of souls. 

“I’m not going to argue with them, if he wants to see a seer let him, as long as they don’t send anymore of those talismans and charms for Gemin. I don’t think his teachers can take another of Gemin’s papers on witches and protection against the darkness. “Claudia stated, and she really couldn’t either. Telling him stories was one thing but Gemin was beginning to believe it, he had almost burned Cora Hale, not understanding the difference between allergic reactions and demons. That had been a traumatic conference at the school. Gemin had been moved into another classroom and Scott had followed him since apparently they were co-dependent on each other. 

“Scott’s wearing one; it’s for protection against dark thoughts. Put it on right after we visited him in the hospital, that night he slept all the way through the night.” Claudia gave him a look, which screamed, my logical husband is saying this, the world must be on the verge of ending. John only shrugged stood, and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m going to say bye to our two hellions and then head out, I’ll be back in the morning.” 

Claudia nodded. “Stay safe.” 

John smirked at her and showed her the medallion he wore under his uniform, after Scott had taken to wearing the one Gemin had given him; John had agreed to wear his in a sign of solidarity. More so Scott would feel less like a girl with his shiny bracelet. Johns smirk turned into a smile after he saw his wife roll her eyes. 

His two hellions were still playing video games as he entered the room. Both looked up at him and smiled, John ruffled both of their hair and placed a kiss on both of their heads. 

……….

Peter waited till everyone was asleep before he headed to the cellar. The little fox was walking around the sand floor sniffing around for the pathway home. Peter stared at him from the top of the stairs; the little fox looked up at him, letting out this sniffling sound, like he was crying. 

“Hello Void.” 

The little fox made no move to move away or get closer, the little fox only stared. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to go for a ride, see the sights in your new home.” The little fox shuffled on his paws. “I promise no Derek.” The little fox walked over to him, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. Peter smiled knowing from his extensive years of being an uncle that the little fox wanted to be carried.  
……..

Gemin sat up in bed, he didn’t know why but he had this strange feeling that something was calling him. He looked at the window, Scott was still asleep, but he swore it was like something had called him. He rubbed at his eyes, climbing out of bed and heading towards his window. He could feel something there, like a tug, it wanted in. He was about to open the curtain and look out the window when he heard it, a soft whisper in the back of his head, it sounded like his grandmother. He turned hearing the sound of footsteps racing towards his room and his mother suddenly opening the door. 

“No mom, he’s here.” Gemin said nothing as his mother lifted him up and all but squeezed him too tightly. He could hear his grandmother’s voice on the phone, but she was speaking to fast for him to understand. “I have him, no, Scotts asleep.” 

To say Claudia was a little shaken was speaking to kindly, her mother had just called her, demanding that she keep Gemin from letting the demon in. Claudia was at first going to ignore it, but it was her mother’s frantic voice, and a strange feeling of foreboding that suddenly seemed to slam itself into her. She had raced over towards her son’s bedroom, her mother frantic about some demon trying to get Gemin. Only to enter his room and find Gemin just as her mother described one hand on the curtain about to open it. 

“Why are you up baby?” his mother cooed softly to him. 

“I heard him, he said to let him in.” he whispered back, feeling the tug recede and letting out a yawn. He could hear his grandmother speaking a little faster, hear his mother suddenly speaking in polish too, he knew some but they had to speak slower for him or he couldn’t focus on it enough.  
………………

Peter watched from his car as Void paced around the house. Void had demanded that they stop, that there was something in there that was his. The house was warded, Peter recognized it, the Stilinski house. They had been very aware of that family, especially after Gemin had burned Cora. Witch blood ran in that family, it had skipped the mother but it was the son who was showing signs of being something dangerous. 

Peter opened the passenger door as Void raced back to him. 

“I take it you found something interesting.” 

“The boy, he’s mine.” Void replied sounding awed that he had found something that was calling to him. 

“Gemin, he’s of witches’ blood.” Peter warned. 

“I can feel him, all he has to do is let me in.” Void replied, feeling something that he had never felt before, a calling to claim, protect and possess. 

Peter stared at him, and then back at the house, he could hear the powerless witch and her mother, “Well, aren’t we all just works in progress.” 

Void looked back at him, confused at his words and why he could just feel the anxiety, fear and wonder, but there was also something else, a faint scent of magic. 

“I’ll help you find your way in, if you be good.” Peter bargained, feeling the slight smirk grow on his lips as he watched Voids tail and fur seem to puff itself up. “You play happy loving mate to Derek and I’ll find you a way in so you can spend time with your witch.” Void’s eyes narrowed. “Or you can be a pouting pup and those witches will keep you separate from your fated witch.” 

Void knew without a doubt what choice he would make and so did Peter. 

……….

Derek woke up to the feeling of something nosing at his chin. He looked at the little fox that was nosing at him, squirming around on his bed. He was looking for a comfortable place to sleep that was beside Derek’s face. It took a moment for Derek’s mind to catch up before he was all but shifting on his bed and curling himself around Void. 

He nosed back at the little fox, feeling content that his mate had made his way over to him. Had finally left the cellar and was in his room, their den for now. 

“Can I have more of those cookies?” Void asked voice muffled against Derek’s fur. 

Derek made a rumbling noise in agreement, his tail wagging so fast it might just fly off of him. He started to groom at his mate, feeling so pleased with himself. 

Down stairs he heard the yelling of his sister and some pack members as Peter and their grandmother claimed the prize money from the bet.  
…….

Gemin and Scott were eating cereal on the couch watching some cartoon programming while Claudia was sitting there at the kitchen table thinking things over. Her mother had heard from the seer, what she had predicted for her son was horrible. She wanted to tell John, but he would never believe her, she barely believed her own mother. 

Who would really?

How could they, this was like something from the stories she had been raised on. The old fairy tales of chosen ones, blood lines and being spirited away into another realm that had existed once alongside theirs. A nightmare world that had been sealed away by witches and hunters, it was how their world came to be. Claudia had tried to keep those stories away from her son, but whenever her parents visited, stayed those whole two months for the thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Gemin was told every story and fairy tale. 

She watched her son and his friend, trying to figure out what she could do. She didn’t believe in any of this, but opening that door to see her son exactly as her mother had predicted. She brought one hand to her mouth to cover the sobbing. 

She wasn’t going to lose her son, it was just superstitions. Gemin was an imaginative kid, no doubt he had watched something and Scott had probably kicked Gemin in his sleep or started to have a nightmare. She took in a deep breath, she wouldn’t tell John it was three weeks before her sons seventh birthday, nothing was going to happen. 

“Your mom looks upset.” Scott whispered. 

“She was on the phone with Grandma last night.” 

“Is she always sad afterwards?” At Gemin’s shrug Scott continued. “I know my mom is always sad after she speaks to dad.” 

Gemin frowned, “I think Grandma might have told her she’s visiting for three months this time.” At that Scott nodded, both understood kind of that adults didn’t like when their parents were there to tell them what to do.  
…..

If anyone was surprised that Derek was smiling and feeding a fox that was sitting on his lap or that Peter was there at the dinner table eating with them no one said anything out of fear of it snapping those two into reality, at least those that weren’t named Talia.

“Mom tells me you finished your book.” Talia stated loudly. Uncaring of the look her mother shot her, a look of –really you want to do this now-that only a parent could master. Leaving Peter and Talia to talk to each other using the false-nice-polite tones only siblings have learned to master. 

“Four books, Talia, the fifth one is the hardest to write so far. I’m quite attached to one of the main characters.” 

“Oh, planning on finally publishing these?”

“Why yes, I do. I see that your son has finally brought home his mate.” 

“He has.” 

“How nice.” 

“It is.” 

Both smiled the same patronizing smile that had their mother sighing and then cooing at her grandchildren. Laura was staring at the scene before her with wide eyes, and Derek was oblivious to anything right now that wasn’t feeding Void by hand and sharing his glass of water. 

Void kept his tail wrapped around Derek’s arm, letting out little purring noises. Laura was torn between looking at her mom and uncle and staring in disbelief at her brother. 

“Grandma, I think I stepped into the twilight zone.” Laura staged whispered as her grandmother only sighed and her father seemed too used to this to pay much attention to anything but his plate and his son. Who really had a weird looking smile, it was too much teeth, like he was snarling. 

“More ribs dear?” 

Laura almost sighed when her dad raised his plate in agreement. She supposed if her father had known her mother and uncle since they were Cora’s age. She looked at her younger sibling who was happily eating unaware of the strangeness around them. 

Derek was too happy to pay attention; Void was purring at him, nuzzling him and eating with him. This morning Void had been grooming him and making a nest for them in the blankets. Derek smiled at his uncle who was watching them with one eyebrow raised, before looking back at Talia and continuing their conversation. Void licked his fingers before nuzzling against his hand. 

While part of Void felt bad for what he was doing, he couldn’t really bring himself to want to stop or think this was too risky. He knew Gemin had heard him, had felt him the same way he had when Peter had been driving him past the house. Tonight he would test that bond, see if his little one would let him in.  
……………….

Claudia tucked both boys in kissing both on the forehead. Scott had already spoken to his mother on the phone and she had visited at lunch, once again thanking Claudia for doing this for her and Scott. 

“Dream sweet dreams.” Claudia whispered to them before turning off the light and leaving the door just a little bit opened. 

Gemin yawned, closing his eyes and burying his face in his pillow; Scott had drifted off while his mother was tucking them in. 

He didn’t know how long he had his eyes closed before he heard the door being pushed open. Sitting up Gemin pulled the covers just a little closer to his chest, trying to keep it up like a shield. 

“Don’t be scared, I heard you calling for me.” 

Gemin frowned; he hadn’t called anyone so he was confused. “No I didn’t.” 

There was a laughing sound coming from the floor, he peeked over finding himself staring at a fox. 

What surprised Gemin were the eyes, they had almost the same eyes. Void stared at Gemin, the little boy was staring at him with wide eyes. Eyes that had matched his own, amber eyes, all they needed were his magic behind them. 

“Who are you?” the boy asked, he was in a dream, he knew he was because Scott wasn’t there neither were Scott clothes and toys. Plus his room was really clean, if that wasn’t a giveaway he was unsure what else there was. 

“Void.” The fox answered before jumping on the bed and settling himself beside the boys feet. 

“Void?” Gemin repeated. “Is that your name?”

“It is.” He answered letting his tail wag on the bed, mimicking a dog. It made Gemin smile and reach out with one hand. Asking for permission to pet him, Void rubbed his head against the boy’s hand. Gemin did laugh at that. “I’m going to be your friend, just yours.” 

“What about Scott?” Gemin asked. 

“One day he can be my friend too. But not yet.” Void whispered climbing on Gemin’s legs till he was pressed against his stomach. “Right now we’re both a secret, till you let me in.” 

Gemin was petting him now. His fingers running across his fur, it made Void feel happy.


	3. It's Called Infatuation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paige should have realized it was to good to be true but could she really be blamed for wanting to believe.

Paige Matthews wasn't from a line of hunters or witches.

She was normal, human and foremost a 14 year old girl. She would have lived an ordinary life and died an ordinary death, but that changed when she had caught the attention of Derek Hale. 

It wasn’t sudden, she knew that on occasion he had watched her, she swore sometimes it seemed even when he wasn’t there he was still watching her. She had passed it off first as her own imagination but now it seemed the watching was graduating to becoming talking as well. 

He was leaning against her locker, staring at her and smiling like this was a normal thing. It wasn't, so it was noticed by everyone in the hallway, who were now staring. Before the end of first period her and Derek would be the new gossip around the school. She walked cautiously towards him, refusing to be scared off from her own locker. 

“Excuse me.” She snapped with more control than she actually felt. She held her breath expecting him to refuse, but when he moved, she felt relief. Even if he was now leaning against a new locker still smiling and staring at her like she was the most amusing thing he had ever seen. She wanted to be insulted but the way he smiled at her made her heart beat a little faster. 

She was attracted to him, had been for awhile. They had been in the same school since elementary, shared classes together. She was well aware that he was intelligent even if he was more of the athletic type. She tried to pretend that she was ignoring him while she grabbed what she needed, but it was difficult when her eyes continued to return back to him. Giving up and having what she needed for the school day she closed her locker. He was still there, smiling at her. She took a step back and started walking to first period, with him right beside her. 

“We don’t have first period together.” She stated, because he must have forgotten. 

“I know.” He answered back, sounding too smug. 

“Then why are you going this way…” she hinted because as intelligent as she was this was not adding up in her head. 

“I’m walking you to class.” He answered, as one of his hands brushed against her side. “I wanted to talk to you, get to know you.” She was going to open her mouth again but stopped when he leaned in close and whispered into her ear, “I like you.” 

Paige Matthews would swear forever to anyone who asked that she tripped not swooned into the defined arms of Derek Hale.  
……

Gemin was keeping a secret. 

He really didn’t want to, he normally told Scott everything but this time he couldn’t. Scott was oblivious to it anyway, to focused on everything else than Gemin and his secrets. Gemin stared at the paper in front of him, more handwriting drills. He wanted to roll his eyes but he had seen Theo’s attempts at writing and he could understand why. 

Scott was concentrating really hard on making his writing perfect. Gemin sighed and looked at the clock on the wall, it wasn’t even time for their pre lunch snack, he looked at the paper and couldn’t bring himself to care, he already had nice handwritting. 

He was keeping a secret from everyone, and it was so stressful. His father told him keeping secrets was bad, especially if that person was asking you to do things that made you uncomfortable. His mother had demanded that he tell her if he ever heard that voice again, the one that asked him to let him in. He was such a bad son, he placed his head down and sighed. This was too much for him.

For the past three days he had been playing with Void in his dreams. 

But even though Void claimed they were games, he felt there was something different about it, something that always made him say no when Void pleaded to be let in. He took in a deep breath and let it out in slow exhales, like his dad had told him to do, whenever he seemed overwhelmed. He did this a few more times, before he felt relaxed and calmed down. He didn’t realize that he had fallen asleep.  
……………….

Paige was certain she wasn’t going to make it through today. 

Derek had walked her to first period, right up to her seat. He told her he’d be walking her to her classes now, and to save him a seat in their shared classes. She tapped her pen against the table, she was a little freaked out, and this was new to her. She wasn't new to the romance scene, she had been on an awkward date in middle school and was a dedicated if not closest reader of romance and bodice ribber novels. But those were fiction, this thing with Derek didn't make sense. She had known him since elementary school and he had never until about 2 months ago ever given her any attention. They had shared a few words here and there but that was it, so what had changed? 

Part of her wondered if this was a joke at her expense. She wasn't the nicest girl in the world, she was driven, demanding and difficult to get along with. She knew what she wanted and what she was passionate about, she had no problem removing any obstacle that stood in her path. She was tempted to ask Parrish, he was usually with Derek, one of his friends she assumed, he was in this class with her, what Derek's intentions were towards her. Only when she had looked over her shoulder to try and get his attention, he had been glaring at her. She wouldn't get any information out of him, and if she tried he'd no doubt make a scene. She stopped tapping her pen on the table, if this wasn't a joke, and he really liked her than maybe he was just a no hold bar type of guy. It would fit his personality. This was all too much for her, she raised her hand and asked to go to the restroom. She needed a moment to collect herself. 

Parrish watched her go, feeling annoyed that he had to deal with anything Derek Hale related at all.  
……

Gemin looked around, he was still in the classroom but he was alone. He frowned and rubbed at his eyes, feeling the brush of fur against his arms. Void was in the room with him.

“My special Gemin.” Void whispered. "Why are you upset my little one?"

“I wanna go home.” Gemin whined. 

Void rubbed against him, he flinched when Voids cold nose brushed against his cheek. “Why can’t you?” 

“The bell hasn’t rung yet.” He answered, petting at the soft fur of the fox. 

“If you want it to ring, it will, just wish it Gemin.” 

Gemin raised an eyebrow at his fox, “I’m not a Jedi.” 

Void only rubbed his cheek against his own and let out a purring sound. Gemin sighed and wished, the bells would ring so he could go home. He closed his eyes and continued petting Void. 

“I want the bells to ring, I want to go home. I want the bells to ring, I want to go home.”  
……

Void opened his eyes, his little witch was slowly trusting him. Letting him in just a little but more, he stretched from his sleeping position on Peters laptop. The owner of said lap top was writing in his journal adding in little notes on the margins, before he went back to type them in his laptop. Void had only stared at him when Peter had mumbled that Gemin was changing it all. Void had ignored Peters' mumbling, he was keeping up his end of his promise, so Gemin was safe.

Stretching and then letting out a yawn he walked over to where Peter was writing and then placed himself on the very journal Peter was using. Peter stared at him, before lifting the fox up and placing him on the bed. 

“Sleep is done on a bed not journals or my laptop. It seems I constantly have to remind you, you are a fox not a cat.” Peter snipped at him. 

Void only stared at him before whining. 

“I’m not Derek.” He reminded. 

The little fox narrowed his eyes before letting out a little huff. “Derek would let me sleep wherever I wanted.” The little fox hissed softly. “Besides I know you’re not Derek, he’s at least pretty.” Void was pleased when Peter glared in response.  
………………..

Gemin woke to the screaming, the teacher was ordering everyone under their desks. Scott was already pulling him out of his seat and under their shared desk. Gemin was clutching Scott's hands, not that Scott minded since he was clutching that shared hand as well. The alarms were blaring into this one sound that had nearly all of them covering their ears, but it was the lights, they were blinking so fast like a heartbeat and it was scary. Gemin closed his eyes wanting the blinking to stop but it wasn’t, it was blinking faster and faster, till he like several of the other students in the class screamed. 

They were under the desks when the lights blew, the bulbs and the protective covering, all just blew. The glass breaking was almost drowned out by the alarms and the screams. 

…..

Paige let out the breath she had been holding as she leaned against the sink in the girls restroom. She was looking at herself in the mirror, part of her wanted to simply throw herself into his arms but the logical part sensed that something wasn’t right. Derek had always been a little bit different, he had some mannerisms that seemed more than just eccentric. She had seen his reactions to the girls who had crushes on him, he had been cold to them, lately even worse. He had seemed offended that they would even bother him, she knew from the rumors started by his friends that Derek had found someone. 

Could it be her?

These things just didn’t happen her mind reminded, there was something wrong. She always trusted her instincts, they had never steered her wrong. Her adopted grandmother had joked that Paige was to much like her father, lived on instinct alone. She shook her head, she didn't like thinking about that time, that life before.

It was better to focus on the now, so she did. Derek had been watching her for about two month, today he had decided to make contact. His watching was to gain information, to see if he stood a chance with her or not, she had done something that had made him believe that yes,he did. Only their most recent contact was her yelling at him for interrupting her while she was practicing for the recital. Aside from Laura, she had never seen Derek be yelled at, had he liked that, did it make him feel that she was worth something now, like she wasn't just going to let him do whatever he wanted. 

Her internal struggle was cut short as she heard the bells go off and not even a few seconds later the fire alarm. She was about to turn and leave when the lights starting flickering, no they seemed to be pulsing, faster and faster till they just popped. 

Paige didn’t have time to scream before she was pushed to the ground and a body was covering hers. The sound of the alarms and bells would have drowned out her screams anyway, the body on top of her was keeping her pinned to the ground and shielding her from the glass and sparks of the lights exploding. 

“Keep your eyes closed.” Derek hissed, “Just keep them closed, I’ll get us out of here, I promise.”  
…..  


They had evacuated to the blacktops, standing in a line while they waited for whatever was supposed to happen, the teachers had created a little station to help treat any who had been unlucky with the glass. 

Gemin was leaning against Scott as both sat under one of the basketball nets, everyone was scared and worried, but Gemin had a weird feeling like it was his fault. He wanted to say something to Scott, but what could he say, there was so much chaos going around. Some of the students were near them, away from the others who were huddled around the teachers and the school nurse. 

“What happened?” Scott asked hoarsely, he had cried a little and who could blame him this was not a normal day at school. 

“I don’t know, but my dad will.” Gemin answered back. He wondered if he had really done this. If it was his fault, then he had hurt people. Void told him tricksters didn't hurt people, but sometimes not on purpose, people did get hurt. 

“It would have something to do with the power grid, all the schools were affected.” Gemin looked up as Lydia Martin was standing there less than a foot from him, he knew his ears were bright red. “But you might know that if you stayed awake in class…..honestly.” with that she walked away to stand with her friends. Gemin watched her go. 

“Your ears are red.” Scott informed him. 

“I’m gonna marry her.” Gemin replied, ignoring how some of the students were staring at him, mostly the ones who gathered around Cora Hale. Who had yet to forgive him for the allergic reaction he had accidentally forced on her. All her friends had avoided him like the plague, which he didn’t have, he had Scott's mom check just in case. 

“Okay.” Scott agreed. “I can be your best man right and eat cake?” 

Gemin nodded.  
………………..

They didn’t evacuate to the football field like they had been told to do. Instead the two of them were sitting against the wall in the girls bathroom. The alarms had stopped at least, leaving them sitting in the dark, only the three small windows high on the parallel wall let in any light. 

Paige was leaning against him, no it was easier to say they were both cuddling against each other. He was cut up from where the glass from the bulbs and their covering hit him. She had feared that it was worse then it seemed but he had assured her he was fine. Her rational mind sealed away the fact that the blood on the glass didn't match the injuries that he did have. But for right now being held by him and holding him was what she needed and all she could focus on. 

“Are..are you alright?” she asked softly. 

“Yeah, I’m alright.” He answered. 

She stayed there with him unsure what to do, in the books she read this would be where she would kiss him, or he would pull her into his embrace and be kissing her into submission. She bit her bottom lip and worked it between her teeth, she was more of a woman of action. Gathering her courage she decided on what she needed to do. She shifted away from him, adjusting herself so she could still lean on him but be facing him. 

She placed a hand on his cheek, he was looking at her with curiosity and something else. She might think it was with regret or anger but it was gone and all that was left was the curious look in his eyes. She regained her courage and kissed him.

It took him about 3 seconds to respond before he was kissing her back.  
…………  


Laura stood outside the door of the girls bathroom, keeping everyone out and Parrish stood on its other side, both acting like bouncers to any who passed which so far was no one, since everyone but them had evacuated from the building to the football field. If either felt like an idiot they were keeping it to themselves.

“He does have a mate right?” Parrish asked, fully aware since even now no one had bothered to shut up about it. 

“Yep.” Laura answered back. Already picturing the fallout from this, because Void had this habit of simply knowing things, she wondered if Peter and Void were secretly gossiping about them when no one was there. If their grandmother was there than it was a possibility. 

“So why is that happening?” 

Laura glared at him. She didn’t know why her brother was making out with the meat suit he had chosen for Void. No, she had an idea why, her brother wanted to test drive the mechanize, make sure it was exactly to his liking. Void would be pissed, he was fine with simply being a fox, it was how his kind was. But Derek wanted Void to share all aspects of his life with him, including the human parts. Yeah she could see the blow out from Voids end. 

“Because he’s an idiot.”

Parrish nodded in agreement. He wasn’t going to argue with her, he had seen Derek with his bandaged face, hands and ankles. He knew that Void was somewhat emotional, sensitive, bratty, spoiled and Derek did nothing to stop it. Yep, he wouldn't argue with Laura, her brother was terrifying but an idiot. 

Laura knocked on the bathroom door. “Derek I know you're in there we have to go, their excusing us till whatever caused this is fixed.”  
……………..

Paige let out a giggle before burying her face in Derek’s shoulder. In the stories she read when the kiss had ended it was never like this. But the kiss usually took place in other places, not in the girls restroom under strange and scary circumstances. 

“That’s my sister.” Derek whispered against her hair. 

Paige let out another giggle, she’d have to face Derek’s sister. “We’ll have to face her wont we.” She asked her voice slightly muffled against his shoulder. Derek let out a laugh, that was exactly what they would have to do. 

“Best we go out there, and not her come in here.” He reasoned. 

She moved so she could look up at him, “I like you too.” she added, feeling this weird weight lifting off her as she told him. 

“I like the way you feel.” He whispered. “I like the way you smell.” 

She pulled back from him to stare, his words while weird made her blush.

He smiled down at her, cupping her face and leaning in to kiss her one more time. “You’re perfect.” 

If she hadn’t been red before, she was now, especially when his lips were on hers again, one of his hands tilting her head while the other was pushing her closer. 

………….

Parrish looked at Laura. “I’m going to go pick up Cora, you can deal with that.” He waved at the bathroom door, she glared at him about to demand that he stay, but someone needed to take Cora home. 

“Just keep it quiet that this happened.” Laura whispered. 

Parrish nodded and walked off, leaving Laura to wait for her idiot brother and his chosen human. 

She waited for about three minutes before banging on the girls bathroom door. “Lets go! We can give her a ride but let’s go before we caught still being in the building and they call mom.” 

Not even a minute passed when Derek was opening the door and glaring, which half the time was his default setting so it really didn’t bother her at all. Laura smiled at her little brother and then looked over his shoulder at Paige who was fixing her shirt. 

“Hello Paige, I’ve heard so much about you.” Laura tried not to wince as apparently all of Paige’s blood rushed to her face. “Would you like a ride home?”  
………….

Melissa had taken the day off to be with Scott, so that left Gemin at home with his mother. She was on the phone with his father, he knew it was wrong to listen in on the conversation but he was naturally curious. He knew that Lydia-his future wife-was correct the electrical grid had gone crazy.

He’d need to speak to Void tonight, see if it was really him that had caused all that havoc or if it was someone or something else. He looked at his Mac and cheese and wondered, if he had done that, what else could he do. 

All it came down to was him making a wish, or maybe it was believing in that wish, like in that story they were reading in class. He smiled around his fork, he could so be a superhero. He’d be like Captain Marvel, regular student by day and superhero at night. Scott could be his side kick and of course Lydia would be his love interest and fall madly in love with him. He giggled around his fork. 

“What has you giggling about?” his mother asked still on the phone with his dad. 

Gemin spoke around his fork, “I’m gonna marry Lydia Martin.” 

His mother stared at him before smiling, “Of course you will, after you finish eating take a nap, you look like you need one.” She waited for him to nod before going back to her conversation with his father. 

…

Cora came running into the house, she was excited about the school being let out early and maybe closed for the rest of the week but it was the little announcement she had heard from Parrish as to why it wasn’t Laura and Derek that were taking her home. That had her feeling the need to scream to everyone in the house, since it seemed so very important. 

“DEREK HAS A GIRLFRIEND!!!”

Cora screamed as she came running into the living room where her grandmother, uncle and Void were watching TV. All three stared at her, Cora only smiled pleased to be the center of attention. 

“Derek has a girlfriend and they were kissing in the girls’ bathroom.” She thought she whispered but in fact she was yelling again. “Parrish said Derek must really like her, if he's kissing her after bringing Void home and it’s supposed to be a secret.” She paused at that, she had forgotten that part of it. “But you can’t tell anyone I told you, it’s a secret.” She quickly added. 

Peter and her grandmother were staring at her with slightly opened mouths while Void looked like a giant ball of puffed fur, Cora imagined he looked like a cotton ball but kept that observation to herself.

…..

He had saved her, kissed her and walked her to her door. She took in a deep breath thinking that now was the perfect moment to ask, the car ride had been a little bit, well tense. Laura had smiled, but that smile never reached her eyes. That had made Paige nervous, if this was a prank, or if Derek was using her, Laura probably knew. Laura probably knew exactly what was happening and was making sure Paige knew she was choosing her brother and silence.

“Thank you, for today.” Paige told him, her hand still in his. 

“It was nothing.” He assured her. 

She squeezed his hand and shook her head not believing for a second that it was nothing. “You saved me.” She reminded, pulling his hand closer to her, moving him closer as well. He moved easily for her, and his smile grew wider. “You went looking for me, when it happened, if it weren’t for you..” she stopped and leaned in, tilting her head up. “if this is a trick..”

He kissed her it was brief and soft, “I meant what I said.” He told her as he moved away from her. “I think you’re perfect.” 

She could feel her heart pounding harder in her chest, like it was wanting to tear itself out of her chest and throw itself into Derek’s. Laura honking the horn loudly surprised her as she stepped back. Derek smiled at her and waved, before he jogged off to the car. She knew that like an idiot she was waving back till they were out of sight. 

……..

Like before Gemin didn’t really remember falling asleep, but he was in his room and Void was curled up beside him on his pillow. 

“Did I do that?” he asked rolling to his side so he was eyes to eye with Void. 

“Yes.” The fox answered. 

Gemin bit on his bottom lip as Void started to groom him, “But I didn’t want it to happen like that, some of the kids and teachers were hurt.” He whispered mournfully. Void continued to groom him, nosing at his cheek to force him to move and give the fox better access to his face. “I don’t like keeping secrets.” 

Void nuzzled him. “My sweet little Gemin, with more practice these accidents will never happen again." Void groomed his forehead for a moment before pausing, "I can tell you a secret that no one is supposed to know, to make us even.” 

Gemin nodded, running his hand across Voids fur. 

“My mate, has a girlfriend.” Void whispered. 

“What’s a mate?” Gemin asked, curious he knew what a girlfriend was but the other word he hadn’t heard before. Void stared at him, like he was thinking of the correct word to use with him. 

“I suppose it's like being married.” He answered pausing as he weighed his own words. “yes, he and I are married.” 

Gemin frowned now confused. “But if your married why does he have a girlfriend?” his father had told him that when you married someone, that was it, that was the person you were with always till the day you died. His mother had agreed. “If he has a girlfriend, then maybe you don’t have to be married to him.” 

Void licked his cheek and then his temple nosing at the area between his eye and eyebrow. It felt weird, but he liked how the touch relaxed him. 

“My little Gemin is so wise.” Void whispered to him "If only he would let me in." 

Gemin paused his stroking of his foxes fur. "What would happen if I did?" 

Void stared at him, looking him straight in the eyes, reading him all to well. "What are you afraid of?" Gemin only stared at him. "I would never hurt you, my precious little Gemin, I would give you the world, all that you ever imagined and more. You would be mine, and I would be yours, and we could do anything." 

Gemin pulled him close to him, like he was hugging him either to comfort himself or Void. Both stayed like that, Void listening to his humans heartbeat and Gemin trying to figure out what was happening. He believed Void, but there was a part of him that screamed this was wrong.  
……….

Derek was surprised that when he came home, Void was not at the door demanding to be picked up, kissed and cuddled with. He frowned feeling apprehensive, maybe Void had fallen asleep or was playing hide and seek again. last time the pup had done that he was found in the laundry closet sleeping on the towels. Derek let out a huff as he scented the air, Void had been here, he could track him down. He looked into the living room where his grandmother and surprisingly his uncle were sitting on the couch watching TV. 

“Where’s void?” Derek asked. 

Laura walked in after him looking at their family on the couch and then Cora who was sitting on the floor hiding. Cora saw her and ran towards her looking upset. Laura had a suspicion about what had happened, but didn’t want to say anything aloud just yet. 

“He went for run in the preserve.” The patriarch of the family, his grandmother answered. 

Derek frowned. “During the day?” he questioned, Void rarely strayed from the house unless he was with him. 

“He wanted to go exploring, it’s perfectly safe, and your father installed the doggie dog. Void can come and go as he pleases.” His grandmother reminded. “So tell me, who is this Paige girl that you were kissing in the girls’ bathroom?” 

Derek turned to look at his sisters who were suddenly absent. His grandmother and uncle were staring at him with looks that declared they had already judged him. 

“I found a body for Void” Derek defended. His grandmother and uncle continued to stare at him. "I was making sure that it was appropriate for him." both his grandmother and uncle gave him the same look of disbelief.

"The sacrifice is usually chosen by the one who will be wearing it." his uncle reminded. 

Derek only glared at them, because he knew what he was doing. Now he needed to find Void, if they knew what had happened it meant his prickly mate knew it too. "How mad was he?" Derek asked in apprehension. The look he was given said it all. It wasn't going to be pretty. 


	4. It's A Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a secret, swear on your life that you'll never tell.

Whenever Void visited Gemin he slept in a hallowed out tree.

It allowed him to be close without the risk of any witches who watched over the boy being alerted to his presence. It protected Gemin from his new pack by it looking like he was just home sick.

Gemin was curious by nature it was an endearing trait to the fox. He was constantly asking him questions. Where did Void live? Who did Void live with? Were there others like him? Where was home for Void, what did it look like, and why did he seem so sad?

As he always tried to do with his chosen witch, he answered honestly and with as much detail he could. He had six siblings who very few could tell apart. A mother and father who loved him and were foxes just like him, and they had all lived in a giant hallow tree. His home was a place called Oak Creek it was the only place aside from Beacon Hills that he had ever been. That home, with his siblings and parents had been perfect, wonderful and everything to a fox that was almost three months.

Gemin had been surprised and had started to coo at him, petting, cuddling and cradling him like a baby. Void would have been annoyed but Cora did the same thing and it was surprisingly nice. Everyone else just expected him to accept being a mate with all it's responsibilities, entering a new pack and being away from all that he had known, it was too hard to and he really didn’t know how. But there was nothing that he could do, he couldn't go home. He could visit but it would always be with his mate or someone from his new pack constantly with him.

It hurt that he could never really go home again, he distracted himself with the responsibility of having Gemin to look after. His witch, who would share his magic till both of theirs was one. The witch with the same eyes as him would be his human counterpart. They'd share a pact, making them soul-bound. Void smiled, curling into a ball, he’d see Gemin later again today. Show him a new trick or two.

His moment of peace was disturbed when a certain hound approached him. If Derek had a girl friend than he obviously didn’t need him. Which was fine because Void had Gemin, he didn’t need a stupid-cheating-girl friend having hound, Void snarled and growled in case the idiot didn’t know that he didn’t need or want him. 

Only the hound was an idiot, and was sniffing around the tree. 

“Go away.” Void snapped, backing away deeper into the hallowed tree, cursing that he had stayed so close to the entrance. “I have nothing to say to you.” While the hallow was a perfect size for him, it was too small for Derek to get anything but his snout in. Which the idiot did before whining, thinking it might tempt him into pitying the idiot, except that just made him feel a little bit angrier. “Go play with your girlfriend.” Void hissed, swiping at the snout till it was out of and away from his hallow.

But idiot didn't back off, he started to dig, attempting to make the hole bigger. Not to let himself in but to get enough access to his mate to drag him out. Void bared his teeth and snapped his jaw signaling that he wanted nothing to do with his cheating mate. Derek stopped his digging and backed up, Void narrowed his eyes. Derek’s human arms could fit in the hallow, he knew from experience that Derek had no problem cheating when he wanted his way. 

Puffing up his tail and growling to let that idiot know he had no problem biting and scratching at the cheating idiot. “I mean it, go away, you girlfriend having hound!” that was all he got out before a thick cloth was thrown over him and used to drag him out. Void hissed, scratched and snapped at the fabric. 

“We should talk.” Derek stated calmly. 

“No, you can let me go and go away you..you….cheater!” Void screeched his voice muffled by the fabric, probably that cheaters jacket, which smelled different. Like a flashbulb had gone off in his brain, he realized that unknown smell was her, the girlfriend. The cheater didn't even care enough to hide his cheating, that pompous uncaring jerk. Was he taunting him now, what was next forcing him to watch them together. He wiggled around till his snout was sticking out from the fabric; he nosed at it till his head was sticking out. He was able to see his now clothed cheating mate, smiling smugly at him. It made Void want to tear into his cheek again, let see if the girlfriend wanted him then. “I don’t like you! You-you cheater, let me go!” 

“I like you.” Derek adjusted his hold so Void couldn’t bite him. “I like you very much, enough to keep you.” He couldn’t stop the smile on his face as Void glared at him. “I found you the perfect body and you’ll love it.”  
………..

John was happily carrying a freshly washed Gemin around the kitchen while they watched Claudia prepare Campbell’s soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It had been an eventful day to say the least, the schools would be closed for the rest of the week, which meant three days of unsupervised children and teenagers. Which meant more shifts for everyone at the station, so Gemin and Scott would be spending some time at the station to give Claudia a break, since she'd be watching both boys. Until Melissa and that ass of her soon to be official ex husband dramas ended. He didn't blame Melissa if his spouse or him had raised a hand to Gemin and back handed him down some stairs. John hugged his son a little tighter and kissed his now clean cheek.

“They can’t explain it, it was just the schools. Everything else was fine, it just doesn’t make sense.” 

Claudia looked up from buttering the bread for the grilled cheese sandwiches. John was adorable when he was confused and Gemin was too busy cuddling with John to really pay attention. She had an idea of a few things that could effect electricity, but she didn't think John would accept them as more than fairy tales told to Gemin.

“But the school is having everything checked out, too many big named families for them to risk anything.” John added as he walked closer to her, she could feel her sons hand on her hair, he had been a little quieter today since his nap, but John had assured her after what happened, it would be a lot for anyone to handle. “So Gemin has three days off, and one of them will be with me at the station to prepare for his being deputized on our big guys birthday..when is that again honey?” 

Claudia smiled at the outraged noise that Gemin let out. “Must be..let me think...oh in a week and how many days?” Gemin looked at them on the verge of crying. Claudia only laughed and kissed him on the cheek, he was appeased from that. John gave him a kiss on his other cheek and laughed at the wide smile Gemin had in response. “He’s going to be seven soon, I’m not ready for this, I want him to stay my baby longer.”

“I’m not a baby.” He reminded, but his mind went to his friend, Void was a pup. The sudden shift in his mood was easily caught by his parents. Void was a baby, and he was married, but it wasn’t what he wanted. “If….dad you would never have a girlfriend cause you have mom, right?”

“No, why?” John asked wondering what his overly curious son had overheard. He had tried to make a point in asking Gemin to stay away from the teacher lounge and any other place the teachers used for their time away from the students. “Is Mrs. Martin having trouble again?” 

Gemin shook his head and placed it on his father’s shoulder. He wanted his father advice and help but Void had made him promise, and he had pinkie promised. Claudia and John looked at each other and decided not to push it till Gemin opened up some more.  
…. 

Laura was manning her brother’s phone. Her mother had asked her to when Derek had taken off after his mate. Her grandmother thought it was adorable, her mother wondered if Derek would ever learn and her father had let it slip that Derek took after him, when he had been courting their mother he had several times simply acted without thinking about his mates’ reaction. He had learned the hard way but now he was the ideal mate. 

Laura looked at her uncle who was writing in his journal, making the final touches before he typed it up. He was going to actually publish this time, which was great since she enjoyed her uncle’s stories and illustrations. Paige texted again, Laura looked at her uncle and smirked. 

“You’re being mean.” Cora reminded from her spot on the floor coloring. 

Laura wanted to roll her eyes, how was she being mean, she was the one texting Paige. Derek was the one that was seducing her, Uncle Peter was going to kill her and then prepare her so Void could reside in her. Turn Void into a version of a skin walker, all because Derek wanted Void to be in every aspect of his life.

“She wants to know if we can meet during the break.” Laura announced. 

“Inform dear Paige that Friday is wonderful, she can have dinner with the whole family.” Peter offered. All eyes were on him, because if Paige was here Void would do more than just use the dogie door to run off into the preserve. “What better way for Derek to see that our little fox is rejecting the offering.” There was some mumbling in the living room. “Unless we continue like this, Void having a tantrum, Derek chasing after, the moping and tantrums before they make up and then repeat.” 

Laura texted Paige back with a response, stating that his coming Friday would the best, so she could have dinner with him and his family. While she felt a little dirty, it was what was best for the pack.  
…….

Void looked at Derek and found himself wondering if he had been stuck with an idiot. An idiot that didn't even know the first thing about the type of fox he was, this was his other half. 

“I’m a Finnish fox. I don’t…how…” Void was at a loss, Derek was browsing for a skin for him, like it was one of the dresses in Laura’s closest. Like it was a gift, because he was not happy with him, like there was something wrong with him. If Derek really wanted to be with someone who could change forms then he was with the wrong fox and he should have thought of that before dragging him home to be his mate. But they hadn’t completed the mating rituals yet, so if Derek wanted to be with someone else, he could, until the ritual was complete Void really didn’t mean anything to him. He was the cheating idiots mate in name only. The fox couldn’t help but loose himself in his panic and disappointment, despite all his complaining he did on occasion like Derek, a lot.

Derek was scratching Void behind the ears, trying to calm him down, he could smell the change in the fox, the different scents that were being let off, all causing Derek to feel panic. It was the same panic he felt when he had noticed that Void was not near him, in his line of sight or where he had left him. Now being here, this was causing that sense of panic to be overwhelming. He always felt like he was one step away from losing the fox. Then to be here, where the hallow smelled too strongly of Void.

Part of him was annoyed and felt betrayed that his mate was coming here when they had a perfectly good den. When had he been sneaking out to be here, and why was he coming here to be alone. Was he meeting someone else, the thoughts in his mind would drive him mad but there was another part that sounded suspiciously like his mother, gently reminding him how It didn’t matter that from the moment Void had been able to open his eyes, he had been surrounded by the immediate members of the Hale pack, or courted with considerable restraint, Void was homesick. 

This wasn’t anything new or threatening; many had gone through the same thing. His grandmother had. She had been just like Void, separated young from her pack and thrown into a new one. Both his parents and grandmother had warned him, he would need to be patient. He was trying so hard to be, but sometimes he just didn’t want to be. He couldn't be. He had seen his grandparents and parents, seen others with their mates and he wanted that. He would get that, he had decided when he first heard his pups call.

“I am doing this for us.” He added softly stroking at the soft fur under his mates jaw. “You’ll be able to live like me, go to school with me, we can be together in both forms” he returned to scratching behind his mate’s ear, “you’d be just like me.”

“But I’m not.” Void reminded trying not to think too much about how it hurt that he wasn’t being accepted as he was. He wasn’t a hound or a skin walker; he couldn’t change forms like others could. Some of the foxes could but his kind didn’t, they found witches who walked in the human world for them “I don’t want or need a human form. It’s not how my kind works.” 

“But it’s how mine does and you’re a member of my pack.” Derek snapped. "You're my mate, you will do as I say." Void went still. Derek sensed the change and kept his tight grip on the fabric, this was the only barrier between him and sharp teeth.

“Go home, I want to stay here and think this over.” Void whispered. Derek opened his mouth to say something but Void interrupted. “I want to think, go home.” when Derek made no move to comply Void continued. “Please, I can’t…I can’t think if you’re here.” Derek placed him back on the preserve floor, helping him when he struggled with freeing himself from the jacket he was entangled in. Once he was free he started moving towards the hallowed tree. He didn’t realize that he had been moved away from it till he was walking towards it. He could hear the discarding of clothes, the sound of bone and flesh remaking itself, and he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. 

Derek wasn’t going to leave him. He intended to stay with him to guard him for however long he wanted to take. Derek pressed his snout against Void and started to groom him, offering what comfort he could before Void ran into the hallow. Only Void didn’t he curled as close as he could against the larger hound.

“I don’t want it.” Void whispered. “I don’t want to be someone else, please, don’t make me.” 

The hound continued the grooming till the fox was asleep.  
……

He was brushing his teeth, making sure he got everything before his father came in to check. He was distracted by what happened today at the school and Void. The more time he spent with Void the easier it was to simply like and trust him. He really wanted to see him too. He wanted to let the fox in but he wasn't really sure what that meant. As he continued brushing he focused on the fox, picturing him here in the house with him, entering the house and going to the bedroom and waiting. 

At first nothing happened as he continued brushing. Then he heard it a scratching noise, like the ones he had heard at the station when the dogs saw him. He looked at the bathroom door there was nothing there, he would have been afraid but he could feel that tug that only happened when Void was near. He stepped off his big boy ladder and walked to his bedroom door, still brushing his teeth in case he was caught.

Two strong hands steered him back to the restroom. “You brush your teeth in here Gem.” Gemin looked at his dad smiling around the toothbrush, the scratching noise was still there but maybe only he could hear it. When he was done brushing his teeth he smiled wide to show his father. “Perfect, now bedtime, you can’t stay up on a school night.” 

“But daaad, I don’t have school tomorrow!” Gemin whined. With a ruffle to his hair first, a kiss to his forehead he walked to his bedroom. The scratching noise was still there, in his room. He waited for his dad to leave before checking around his room. 

“Void.” Gemin whispered looking around his room trying to find where the scratching was coming from, he looked under the bed first,“Void, are you under there?” when he wasn't there he checked his toy chest. His grandfather had made it and once Void had gotten stuck in it. Void liked to play and sometimes it meant chasing him around, or finding him stuck in places that seemed impossible for him to even fit. “Void my parents are still up.” He reminded, " So we can't play hide and seek.” The scratching sound stopped and his bedroom door closed. 

Gemin wasn’t scared Void was dramatic, “If you get me in trouble, I’m gonna be mad.” he warned. The closet door opened a little bit, just enough for it to be noticeable. Gemin smiled, heading to his bed and tucking himself in, he told his parents he could since it was Scott that needed to be tucked in not him. If they believed him he’d find out later. Slipping under the covers he waited for Void, who still seemed to think it funny to jump out from the closet or under the bed. It had been scary the first few times but now it seemed like a game. He waited for a few minutes, when nothing happened he slipped out from under the covers and walked over to the closet, grabbing at the handle he pulled the door open. 

Void was curled on the floor looking so sad. It made Gemin crawl into the closet and pull him into his arms like a parent did with a child. Void nosed at his neck, just letting himself be held. 

“You came back.” Gemin whispered as the door to the closet closed. Thankfully it wasn’t dark. There was a light that glittered in the air around them, surrounding them, it felt so warm and smelled like sugar cookies.

“It’s called fox fire.” Void mumbled. Gemin stared at it in awe. He reached out one hesitant hand to touch it. “It won’t hurt you.” With that reassurance he reached for it. it was like soft ribbon against his fingers. 

“Can I do that?” Gemin asked awed at his friend and his ability. 

“I can show you.” Void curled around him as much as he could before nuzzling at the area where his head and neck met.

………….

Derek was content. 

Even if he wasn’t at home, in his bed enjoying the comforts that he had become used to. Even if it was getting colder as it became darker and there was a light breeze that didn’t help with the cold situation. Even if Void was having some type of dream that had him giggling and squirming around. Even if he was half covering the little fox and taking the brunt of the cold and the area they were resting on was uncomfortable. 

He was content, they both were, he pressed his nuzzle in a little more when the scent of sugar cookies from Void was overwhelming. This was what he wanted, this feeling that he had seen and smelt on others with mates. 

It was going to work out, everything was going to be fine  
…………………….

“I did it!!” 

John was going to check on his son, just to make sure he wasn’t reading under the covers again. Not that he had a problem with his son reading it was just, his son sometimes forgot that he also needed to sleep. So when his son suddenly yelled those three words, John might have changed his walk into a jog. His mind going to everything his son might have done, or was about to do. Only that worry became fear when he realized that he couldn’t open his sons’ door, the same door that didn’t have a lock on it. 

“Gemin. Open the door.” John ordered. 

He didn’t hear his son walking towards him, only his son’s laughter. It sounded muffled, John pulled at the door knob again, it didn’t budge. 

“Gemin open the door now!” John yelled. The laughing stopped, John could hear a door open followed by his son, who hadn’t quite learned how to whisper tell someone he’d see him tomorrow. John was about to try at the door again when it opened, no more slammed open. John stumbled back almost getting hit by the damned door. What he saw when he rushed into the room was his son sitting on his bed tucked in and smiling, like nothing had happened. In that moment, John wanted nothing more than to call Claudia’s mother. 

“Who were you talking to?” John asked as he looked around the room, nothing seemed out of place. Except the closet door, it was always closed, now it was wide open.

“It’s a secret.” Gemin answered. 

John walked over to the closet. “A secret?” he asked as he checked the opened closet, there were shirts on the floor, shoved around like bedding. Gemin nodded. John did not like the sound of that, walking over to Gemin, John scooped him up. “Why don’t you sleep with me and mom tonight? So I don’t get scared.” Gemin nodded wrapping his arms around his father’s neck and smiling at Void who was still curled on the bed he made for him.  
…………

It was hours later when Peter left the living room and headed for his bedroom. Derek had arrived sometime before midnight, looking stiff and covered in grass, dirt and he believed drool. Whose it was he didn’t ask, not when his nephew was smiling like he had gotten his way. Peter let out a sigh as rubbed at his temples, he knew there had been a change when he could smell sugar cookies. The scent of the baby witch, it was happening, everything he had written, what he had changed was happening. 

Peter paused when he heard the foot steps behind him. His mother was staring at him expectantly. She had always read his works, commented on them and offered him encouragement. With the latest four she had been different as she read each book, seeming to be lost in thought. Recently with the arrival of Void she had been almost a new person entirely, taking to the little fox to fast and being to supportive and indulgent when normally she would be quick to curb the pups’ behavior.

A pack without hierarchy is a broken pack. She had that stitched on a pillow somewhere in the house. it was her motto for all things, except Void and Derek.

“Mom?” 

“Whatever happens, you are one of the chosen helping to create a new world, a better world.” His mother stated walking over to him and hugging him, “I’m proud of you, however it turns out.” With another firm hug and a kiss on his forehead, his mother walked away towards her room, stopping only once more to check in on Cora. 

Peter waited till her bedroom door closed and continued his walk to the end of the hall. His room was the furthest away, it seemed almost separate from everyone else, when he was younger it had been wonderful, now it was just a reminder of what he was going to be doing.


	5. Nothing Stays A Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The problem with a secret is that no one can keep it, even if they pinkie swear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wieszcz : a seer
> 
> Wojciech: warrior - He who is happy in battle

…  
She had been practicing her cello in her room. 

Same as she did every night for two hours before bed, she would have practiced for longer but her mother and father were against it. Claiming she needed at least 10 hours of sleep before school. So as the dutiful daughter she was, she listened.

Only tonight had been different. 

While she had been practicing there had been a tapping, it had been so soft, easy to ignore but it was consistent, continuously tapping till it was all she could hear. Placing her bow down on the stand, she waited listening to that noise, searching for its source. The tapping seemed to be echoing, it was growing louder and louder. 

“Whose there.” she asked feeling as equally scared as she was annoyed. 

The tapping stopped and it became silent, too silent, she had never known a silence like this. She knew she was holding her breath as she waited for something to happen. Only there is a difference between waiting and then something happening. That tapping was now a banging, each bang so loud it caused the room to shake. Her cello fell to the floor as her both her hands were now used to cover her ears as she choked on her own scream. 

The banging stopped when the door to her closet opened just enough to gain her attention. She might have been a closet reader of romantic novels, but that didn’t mean she wasn't aware of what horror movies were. And right now she knew this was bad, she didn’t move from her chair, didn’t even try to lift up her instrument. But she did reach for the bow, the tip was sharp and it was made from heavy wood. She’d attack whoever was there, once she felt like moving or remembering how her legs worked. 

When something clattered behind her, her legs remembered not only how to run but jump over her instrument and race towards her bedroom door. She grabbed at the door knob but it didn’t turn, the bow dropping to the floor in a loud clatter as she tried using both hands to make that damn knob turn. 

“Poor little Alice, so scared and lost.” A voice that sounded so sweet and caring whispered behind her. 

She turned to see a fox sitting on her bed, looking more bored kitten then animal that wasn’t supposed to be there. 

“I..I’m not Alice….” She whispered lowering herself slowly to the ground to pick up the bow. 

“Really you look like her.” the talking fox replied moving so he was stretching out on the bed. 

She looked at herself, she was wearing the outfit with the shiny black doll shoes to match, her logical mind now restarted told her it was a dream. 

“I’m dreaming.” She told herself. The fox so small now that it was walking closer to her, smiled, “I’m dreaming, this is just a dream.” She reminded herself as it moved so it was rubbing itself against her legs. “Just a dream.” 

“Then you can play with us, can’t you Alice.” The fox placed one paw on her leg and then the other using her as a support so he could stand on his hind legs and look at her. “Play with us, and we’ll tell you a story.” 

“We’ll…” she repeated finding it hard to breath as the fox stared at her, before going back to being on all fours. 

“Follow me Alice.” The fox ordered as he walked towards the now opening closet door. 

She did follow him, dropping the reclaimed bow, standing slowly and walking towards the now open closet door, uncaring how it closed behind them.  
………

Laura hissed as she stepped on another crayon that seemed to litter the floor. Cora had become obsessed with Alice In Wonderland after reading it in class. Now it was everywhere in the house, every time Cora was allowed to choose a movie that was it. It was embedded in their brains, even Void would mumble about Alice, leaving Derek looking at the Disney version of the character like she was a home wrecker. It was kind of hilarious. She made the trek to the kitchen and tried to rememorize the route of discarded crayons on the path back to her room.  
……………………

She was terrified of the preserve, she never wandered it in the day and at night she avoided it like a plaque. So it was only another reminder to her that this was a dream as she chased the fox. It moved to quickly in and out of the trees and overgrowth that choked the tress in the older area of the preserve for her to actually catch it, so she was following it, using it’s colors to keep it in her sights. 

She continued chasing it, stopping once she reached a giant tree. It was huge, with thick branches that stretched high and wide around the area. It was wrapping itself around the other trees using its height and width to block out the sky. She looked up watching as the tree seemed to grow wider and higher, making the area around her appear darker, colder and frightening.

“Do you like riddles?”

Paige turned there was a child standing behind her, dressed in a set of slightly over sized plaid pajamas. His bare feet were clean considering the mound of dirt he was standing on. She looked back at the tree; the branches seemed to be curling around them, stretching as if it was reaching for them. 

“Yes…I enjoy riddles.” She answered, what was the harm this was just a dream. 

The boy smiled a wide toothy smile, and clapped his hands in excitement. “So you’ll play with us! I’ll start with easy ones first, okay.” When she nodded, he continued bouncing on his heels in excitement. “What gets bigger the more you take away?” he all but shouted.

She smiled at him and made a show of pretending to need a moment to think, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping one finger on her chin. “A hole.” She answered. 

The boy smiled, placing his hands behind him and rocking on his heels. “What gets wetter the more it dries?”

“A towel.”

“When is a door not a door?”

“When it’s a jar.”

“Everyone has it. But no can lose it.” 

“A shadow.” 

The boy smiled and walked off the mound moving till he was directly in front of her, taking her hand in his. “This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays kings, ruins towns, and beats high mountain down.” 

Paige smiled at him she knew this one; she had read the book and the trilogy that came after it. “Time.” With her answer the boy squeezed her hand and with his other motioned her to move closer, when she was close enough that his mouth was beside her ear he spoke to her softly. 

“You should have been paying attention to what was behind you.”

She stood up slowly and looked behind her, the branches of the tree where not even an inch away from her, they were reaching for her, she turned to look at the boy who had lost his smile and was shaking his head slowly. With that the branches wrapped around her, tearing into her skin, squeezing her, tighter and tighter till she couldn’t even scream. 

The whole while the boy watched giggling, as a fox that just came up to his knees, sat at the boys feet its tail draped around the boy ankle, smiling.  
…………..

Gemin and Void watched as the girl screamed on the floor of her bedroom. 

“What’s happening to her?” Gemin asked. 

“We’re telling her a story.” Void answered. 

Gemin looked confused, he had no idea that anyone could tell a story like that, it looked painful. 

“What type of story?” Gemin asked still confused and little bit afraid, not for himself but for the girl. 

“A fairy tale.” Void replied watching the girl with interest. “Once upon a time Gemin there were monsters, and people like her were food. The monsters were never full, it didn’t matter how much they ate, it was never enough. One day special children were born, children who were half human and half monster, they were feared by their monster parent, and worshiped by their human one. They became the witches and the hunters, the monsters, the really scary ones; they were able to be sealed away. But that seal is cracked and some like me, the weaker monsters can travel back and forth.” 

Gemin nodded, he had heard stories like this from his grandmother and grandfather. “But why is it hurting her.” 

Void lifted one paw and pointed at a children’s story book that was beside Paige’s head, on the cover was the tree that had attacked her. “Some books have powerful words written to hurt certain types of people, those books can hurt us, the reason it’s hurting her is because we want it to, we want her to see exactly who she’s playing games with.” 

Gemin frowned; he didn’t understand what the girl had done. Paige let out a scream, a louder one; it hurt to even hear it. He brought his hands to his ears, blocking it out.  
………..

Paige came to with a silent scream. She looked frantically around her room, this was her room not the preserve and not that place, that dark place the tree had shoved her into. “It was just a bad dream.” She whispers repeating her words back to herself, trying to calm down. Her heart felt like it was trying to rip itself out of her chest and keep going till it was far, far away from here. 

She took in a deep breath, trying hard to focus on calming down; reminding herself that she was alone in her room as she moved towards the headboard. “It’s just a dream.” She repeated. “Just a dream, none of this is real.” She closed her eyes and brought her knees to her chest, her hand covering her ears. 

“Did you like the story we told you, we can tell you another one or play another game?” the voice of the child reminds her. 

She shakes her head, keeping her eyes closed as the bed shifted like someone is crawling on it. “I don’t want to play anymore.” She whispers. “Please just stop.” There’s another weight on the bed someone smaller than the boy, she can feel fur brush against her legs, she knew who it is, the fox. “Please….stop.” she whispers her voice cracking with her sobs. 

“We like you.” This voice wasn’t the boys.

“Please go away, just stop” she sobs. 

“You’ll see us again.” 

“Leave me alone!” Paige screamed as she felt someone grab her by the wrists, using her to pull them self up till they were right against her face. 

“You made a pretty Alice.”

Paige pulled away trying to make herself smaller. The sound of a child laughs echoing around her. 

“Such a pretty Alice…goodbye…Paige.” 

She felt it before her brain caught up with her, the feeling of being weightless, followed by the feeling of falling. She didn’t even have time to scream.  
………

Mr. Matthews had never more relieved to have insomnia till he was exiting the kitchen and looked up to see his only child standing on the second floor railing. Her arms out stretched keeping her balance, she was just standing there perfectly still, her eyes closed and body relaxed, almost like she was being held. He dropped his glass and ran towards her, “Paige!!” he screamed. Once the glass hit the floor she took a step, and fell. 

Gemin watched from the railing as Mr. Matthews caught his daughter, stumbling and falling on the floor in a heap, his daughter protected and cradled in his arms. 

“It was like the movies..” he breathed in wonder. Void didn’t answer only stared down at the father who was shaking his daughter, trying to wake her. “Can she wake up now?” With a nod, the girl on the floor opened her eyes; the way she was angled she saw them. The two from her dream staring down at her, she started to breath faster, taking in every detail including their eyes, the glowing yellow eyes. 

“LEAVE ME ALONE!!” she screamed  
…………………….

John was a rational man. 

He was well aware that children had imaginary friends, Gemin hadn’t but now he did. He didn’t really want to question it, and he might not have, but he had met his wife’s family. He had first met them while he was dating Claudia, he remembered the proud look on her parents face and when they renamed him Wojciech. Claudia claimed it meant warrior, but he had a suspicion there was more to it. When he had married Claudia an older woman had pulled him aside, the wieszcz, a seer, “Your strength with always guide you, never doubt it Wojciech.” 

As he watched his sleeping son and child he knew deep down there was something happening that he might not be able to rationalize. 

Gemin stretched out in his sleep, kicking John in the side as he made himself comfortable. It brought a smile to John’s face, this was a king sized bed and his son was determined to take up all if not the majority of the space. Reaching out with one hand he brushed at his sons’ almost shaggy hair, it was almost time for a haircut. When things had calmed down a little bit more he’s make it a father son day. 

Gemin let out a soft giggle. 

John smiled at his son, wondering what he was dreaming about. 

“You’re staring John, with that look.” Claudia whispered trying to keep from waking Gemin. John raised an eyebrow at her, but he was met with his wife rolling her eyes at him. “Your cop look, what are you trying to piece together?”

“Just thinking, Gemin’s never had an imaginary friend.” John whispered. “Most kids do, but not ours.”  
Claudia smiled, “He’s never needed one, why are you thinking about that now.” 

John placed one hand on his sons twitching foot. “I think he has one now.” 

Whatever else he was going to say was lost as his wife was out of bed and calling her mother, leaving Gemin and him just there. He looked at his still sleeping son and sighed, “Always knew you’d be a handful.”  
……………..

Morrell was making a house call to the Matthews residence. 

It wasn’t the first time, Paige had a history of anxiety, but sleep walking was new. Mr. Matthews was outside waiting at the front steps pacing. Morrell was used to the parents she had been Paige’s pediatrician since she was four years old. 

“Mr. Matthews.” Morrell greeted. 

“Martha is with her, we don’t know what to do, she doesn’t think she’s awake.” Mr. Matthews responded, looking worried and helpless. 

Morrell followed him into the house, up the stairs and into Paige’s room. Her patient was sitting on her bed clinging to her mother. 

“Hello Paige, I heard that tonight was very stressful to you.” Morrell calmly stated placed her bag on the too clean and organized desk. 

Paige nodded. “They made me step off the second store railing.” 

“Must have been a horrible nightmare.” Morrell agreed, pulling out her stethoscope, and a sphygmomanometer to check her blood pressure. “Can you come closer to me Paige?” 

Paige nodded and moved away from her mother and crawled over to the corner of the bed. She was staring at her with wide fearful eyes. “It didn’t feel like a dream, it still doesn’t. What if I'm still dreaming?” Paige settled herself at the edge of the bed holding out her arm. “I saw things, bad things. Old things that no one is supposed to remember” Her hand shakes as she continues speaking. “I saw them, the monsters, they’re waiting, they look like us.” Morrell gently squeezes her hand, rolling up her patients’ sleeve. "You can't tell that their not like us, you can't tell that there monsters."

“Sometimes nightmares are the problems we don’t want to face, it’s easier to be afraid of..” she stopped talking as Paige grabbed her hand. 

“The old ones, they’ll come back. Their waiting for something, someone to put in another crack on the seal, weaken it and open the door, when that happens, we'll die. It'll kill us, turn us into cattle till what we used to be will be a bedtime story a myth.” Paige hissed, “I saw it, just a glimpse of the darkness in the crack, just a glimpse it's not a nightmare anymore, it's real.” 

Morrell nods and continued with her tests, checking her patients’ heart and blood pressure, Paige calms down when they’re not talking, Morrell nods at something that Mrs. Matthews asks softly. Paige is calm when Morrell injects her with something, she is calm when her father lifts her and lays her on her bed, and she is drifting off when her mother tucks her in.  
Mrs. Matthews leaves the door partially open as they stand in the hallway. 

“Has there been anything different in her routine?” Morrell asks. 

Mr. Matthews shakes his head but his wife looks a little uncomfortable. 

“Paige is dating Derek Hale. She’s going to dinner at his parents this Friday.” She answers, ignoring her husband’s wide eyed stare. “She’s very excited about it, we’re going shopping Thursday for a new dress…” she trails off thinking of her daughters mental welfare, she had never been a problem, a little too much of a perfectionist and some small issues with dealing with anxiety. But not this, she had never been like this. “Do you think this will happen again?” 

Morrell shakes her head, “Monitor her today, keep a log of what she drinks, eats and watches, and even reads. It might be a onetime thing, or something that we’ll need to run some tests on.” 

Mr. Matthews nods, as his wife looks on at their sleeping daughter. “Do you think it might be her....remembering what happened to her mother?” he asks. “I know Lee left her with us, had us take her in, but after we lost contact with him, she was just so young…” he trailed off trying to figure out how to explain the disappearance of his wife's brother.  
………..

John found himself watching Gemin as he drew at the kitchen table. Claudia was on the phone with her mother, speaking in rapid polish, once he had mentioned a secret imaginary friend. Well the last time he had seen her move that fast was when Gemin had Scott put him in the dryer and was about to push the start button. He slowly drank his coffee, as he watched Gemin draw a fox standing beside him. The imaginary friend was a fox, and apparently they were playing in a scary looking forest with what looked like a girl being eaten by a tree. 

“Isn’t Scott coming over today?” John asked his son who paused in his drawing to stare up at his father. 

“Yep.” With that his son was back to drawing and coloring. There was a frantic thing to it; he reached out his hand towards his son to brush some hair from his forehead. His son looked up at him with glowing amber eyes. 

“Honey, can you come here.” John yelled as calmly as he could. “I think Gemin has something to show you.” 

Claudia still on the phone rushed into the kitchen taking a look at her sons’ still glowing eyes. “I think our baby might have just tapped into his magic.” At her words John looked at his son and his drawing, he was not feeling appeased at all. Especially when she went back to speaking in polish with her mother who from what he could hear was yelling over the phone. 

Gemin went back to coloring his drawing, after last night there had been a change, he had summoned Void while he was awake. He had created this connection; he could feel him right now like a faint buzz under his skin. It felt nice. Gemin hummed a soft song; the same one Void did sometimes. He didn’t know the words but it was nice, it was the same one Void mom hummed. 

“Gem what are you humming?” 

Gemin looked away from his drawing to his father and smiled a soft shy smile. “A song we learned.” 

“You and your friend, what’s his name?” John asked. 

“We can’t tell you.” 

John was going to say more when the doorbell rang, he knew who it was, Melissa dropping off Scott. He needed to intercept that especially with his kids glowing eyes. 

“Scott!” Gemin yelled jumping off his chair and racing towards his friend. John chased after, hoping Melissa or Scott didn’t notice the glowing eyes.  
…………………

“Is he really still asleep?” Laura asked Derek. 

Her brothers hair looked like someone was rubbing a balloon against it all night. “He is.” he answered sounding like he too needed a few more hours of sleep. He was poking a this breakfast, frowning, Cora had their parents attention as she was telling them all about Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. 

“Well, Cora slept a lot at the age too…but did he really zap you.” She asked keeping her voice low. 

“I should wear gloves to bed.” He replied yawning. 

“So what you going to wear Friday?” she asked him. 

“What are we going to do with Void.” He asked, he really didn’t want to think about what would happen if Void was there. 

“Did you tell him what was going to happen on Friday?” there was a tone in his sisters voice that had him wondering if it was too late to just grab Void and run. At his silence her eye brows rose till they did meet her bangs. “Really, do you have a death wish!” she hissed. 

“He’d get angry….” Derek defended, “at me…I don’t like it when he’s mad at me.” Laura stared at him, judging him, “He goes straight to Uncle Peter…..” Derek hissed. Laura still stared at him while he stared accusingly at his uncle, who looked at them and smiled widely in return. “and his stupid old face…” Derek snapped. 

“Wow, Derek, you are just so special.” Laura states ashamed that she is indeed related to him. “Peter is not going to steal Void.” She reminds him irritated that she even has to say it. Becoming even more annoyed when her “special” brother ignores her and continued to just glare at their amused uncle.  
……………..

“It’s a secret Scott.” Gemin whispers to his best friend when they are in the safety of his bedroom. Leaving his parents in the kitchen still talking in hushed whispered, his father had been reluctant to let the boys leave the kitchen but when Scott had begged and pleaded, his father had relented and his mother had handed his father the phone, before just sitting on one the chairs at the kitchen table.

“So you can’t tell anyone.” Scott nodded as he held out his pinkie; Gemin overlapped their pinkies and squeezed. “We will hold you to this.” 

“Can I see him too?” Scott whispered.  


“We can show you, and you’ll be our friend Scott, just ours.” Gemin whispered with seriousness that Scott had never heard before. 

Scott nods; he had figured it was always going to be him and Stiles forever. With that Gemin nods and places his hands over Scott’s eyes. 

“You’ll see us with these other eyes, you’ll see new things.” Gemin whispered. 

When he removed his hands Scott blinked and rubbed at his eyes for awhile. His eyes felt weird for a second, he opened them and quickly muffled his yell with one of his hands. There between them was a fox, it was so small and it’s eyes so bright. But it wasn’t just that, it was the outline of a fox that was around Gemin, it looked somewhat like the little fox between them. 

“This is Void, and this is Scott.” Gemin introduced. 

The fox bowed its head in greeting; Scott copied it still trying to figure out what he was seeing. 

“He’s a fox.” Scott said. 

“Hello Scott.” Void responded in greeting. 

“He can talk!” Scott shouted. 

“Shhh!” Gemin hissed bringing his finger over Scott’s mouth. Scott stared at him with wide eyes as Void moved closer to Gemin looking startled. “Don’t scare him.” Gemin picked up Void like he was a baby and cooed at him. “Scott didn’t mean to yell at you, he doesn’t know that you’re a baby.” 

Scott’s eyes widened. “A baby…” he repeated feeling like the bad guy, because who else would spook a baby. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to yell at you.” Scott said lowly using the same tone his mom did when dealing with him when he was sick or hurt; he stroked the fur of the fox softly. In response Void let out a purring sound.  
…………….

Talia was enjoying the time with her family when the phone rang, her mother stood and walked over to the phone, usually she sent either her or Peter to answer, saying "That is the point of having child dear, the child labor." 

“Hale residence,” Talia listened in just like Peter was.

Good morning, this is Martha Matthews, Paige's mother

Hello Mrs. Matthews, how can I help you…

I wanted to thank you for inviting my daughter for dinner on Friday….but….

We are looking forward to having Paige here for dinner…..

She wont be able to make it, she’s feeling under the weather…

Poor dear, I hope she feels better. We were looking forward to meeting her.

Seems that the trauma of yesterday was the tipping point for her, but please let Derek know that she’ll see him later, just not this Friday

Of course I’ll let Derek know that we’ll reschedule

Thank you and please thank Derek for me, Paige told me how he was quite the gentleman

…Of course, have a wonderful day.” 

Talia looked at her two older children, Laura was calling Derek an idiot and her son was glaring at Peter like he personally was to blame for everything that was and ever would be wrong in his life. Derek did amaze her, he was so trusting of everyone but Peter, it was a rivalry that she was unsure how it had come to be. Peter smiled his wide smile that grated on everyone’s nerves. 

“Paige is ill, how disappointing, I was looking forward to meeting her.” Peter said, sounding too amused. 

Talia rolled her eyes, “Humans are fragile Peter.” She reminded, repeating the same speech her mother had given them time and time again. “Things affect them more than they do us.” 

“Peter after breakfast please join me in the study.” Their mother said. 

Both Talia and Peter stared at each other before he nodded. “Of course mother.”  
………….

In her hand was the book from her dream. If she had it here, then did it mean that she was awake or asleep. Her mother had just brought her some oatmeal to eat, and her father had assured her this was real. That she was awake, he even showed her a trick so she could double check. She counted her fingers again, making sure each hand had five and in total, she had ten. The book she held looked like an over sized children’s book, there was no name for the author or illustrator. On the cover was a giant tree, the same tree that had attacked her, maybe even almost killed her. Her finger traced the tree on the cover, she could hear a voice whispering beside her ear, sounding just like the fox that had been in her nightmare earlier. 

“The hound guards the path between the world of theirs and ours. Able to wear both the skin of man and beast, none can tell the difference between, neither hunter, witch nor chosen meat. They travel in packs along the paths waiting for the old ones to be summoned back. If you land in their path you can never escape, once it sees you, you can never escape your fate. Beware its teeth sharp and claws that burn, eyes of fire and a howl that souls it does steal. For when the hound has your scent you will be it's meal.” 

Paige placed the book in her backpack and shoved it under the bed. She didn't want her parents finding it or Morrell, this thing, the fox was playing a game with her. She doubted if provoked it would keep whatever game it was playing between them. But it seemed to be more than just a game, this was a threat. While she had never been good at games, she was never one to back away from a challenge. 


	6. A Game of Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The fear you’re feeling is because in the dark we can’t see as well as when it’s day, and in the dark we’re vulnerable to the predators that can.”

Scott McCall believed in the monster under the bed. 

He believed in keeping the closet light on, the importance of a night light and keeping the door open at all times. He believed in these because even if his mother would tell him over and over again that his fear of the dark was because he couldn’t see as well in it or it was an instinct from long, long ago to be wary of the predators that could see in the dark. He knew that deep down it was because even if his mother couldn’t see them, the monsters were real. 

He wasn’t talking about the little baby monsters like Void that he could carry around like a baby and coo at, that liked to give and get kisses, he was talking about the monsters that he was seeing now. He had noticed the people with the smoke around them; their eyes red and glowed like Voids and sometimes Gemin’s did. 

These new monsters were out in the day light, they looked normal, if it hadn’t have been for his new eyes he never would have known. Now he did and it only strengthened his belief that the adults were wrong, the monsters were real. And now he had to worry that soon the monsters were going to know that he could see them. If they learned that he could see them, they’d learn about Void and Gemin. He knew from his Fathers job and Mr. Stilinski from what he had overheard and been told that when people learned that you knew something you weren’t supposed to, you ended up dead or missing. He didn’t want to disappear or die, and he didn’t want that for either Gemin or Void as well. 

So he had to keep this secret, he couldn’t even make a sound, all he could do was hold Gemin’s hand as tightly as he could as they stood in line at the grocery store, the two ladies in front of him had wisps of black smoke that swirled and snaked around them, but it was the eyes, the red glowing eyes that had him holding back his scream even as his little heart felt like it was going to pop out of his chest. One of the ladies turned to face him, her red eyes just staring into his. Void said he was safe, just like Gemin, he was their friend so Void would protect him but what could a baby do against something like that. 

“Scott?” Gemin asked. 

Scott just squeezed his best friends hand and tried to look anywhere but at the ladies. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, when he opened them they should be normal, or gone. He felt Gemin squeeze his hand, and he squeezed it back as he continued counting. When he opened them the ladies were still there but looking away from him, the smoke was still around them but they at least weren’t looking at him. He let out a shaky breath. Keeping his hand in Gemin’s, he looked at him and smiled, they’d see Void again and he’d ask them what the ones with the red eyes and smoke were. 

Mrs. Stilinski looked at him, smiling a worried smile and started putting her groceries on the counter. He helped with one hand, not letting go of Gemin’s. 

Gemin squeezed his hand again trying to be supportive but Scott couldn’t tell him, If Gemin wasn’t seeing it then he didn’t need to tell him. 

“I’m okay.” He answered squeezing his friends hand back. “I’m okay.” 

“Okay.” Gemin answered back. 

Mrs. Stilinski looked at them again, this time with more than curiosity in her gaze. “Scott did you need your inhaler?” she asked her hand already heading towards her purse. 

“No, it’s a false alarm.” He mumbled looking sheepishly at the floor, watching as the two ladies looked at him with curiosity before wandering off with their purchases. “Sorry.” 

Mrs. Stilinski smiled at him, “Alright, we’ll go straight home.” she placed a hand on the top of his head, ruffling his hair, “or did you two want McDonalds?” 

Fear forgotten at the thought of McDonalds, Scott and Gemin both nodded and let out a little cheer that had whatever was worrying Mrs. Stilinski just disappear.  
……………..

Talia Hale walks to her car with her oldest daughter beside her. The groceries packed in the trunk of the SUV, neither says a word till the car is on and both of them are buckled, but her mother doesn’t start to drive. 

“That was him, the baby witch.” Laura starts, “He’s the one that blew all the lights at the schools.” 

Her mother remains quiet, which worries Laura in a way, her mother will be the new alpha, when her grandmother decides to pass it on there will be a big celebration and members, both pack and non pack will arrive to pay tribute to the Hales new alpha, it’s something that she not looking forward to. 

“Are we going have to keep him…make him join the pack?” she asks, it’s not unheard of to have witches tied to packs, to keep them from being in covens. The Coven witches are unpredictable, and some have a hatred for any supernatural that isn’t like them, choosing Hunters as their allies. 

Her mother looks startled for a second, then almost confused, like there was something that Laura had missed. She opens her mouth to say something but stops, leaving Laura feeling like an eight year old all over again trying to figure out why there are only seven members of her pack returning from a hunt instead of twelve. 

“Mom?” Laura asks knowing she sounds like a scared pup. 

“Laura, I want you and your brother to visit Paige today.” Her mother says suddenly. There’s a tone in her voice that has her daughters eyes glowing and then nodding. 

Laura remains quiet as they drive home; she doesn’t know that her mother is focused on a smell that she hadn’t picked up on, a smell that while it can be attributed to something else, it’s the magical undertones that let Talia know that smell belongs to only creature. A little fox in her den that has managed to somehow find that specific little witch. The only question is why, and if this somehow effects her pack and especially her son. The little fox had been given quite a bit of leeway, if anyone tried to do anything to curb the pups’ behavior; her mother was quick to put a stop to it. Now it made her feel like there something that she was not being told, something that had her feeling irritable. Was it her mother’s plan to use Void to bring in Gemin, to have him become their witch? Or was this something else, something that no one outside the alpha, was aware of yet. 

She would get her answers at home.  
……….

She was counting her fingers. 

It was the third time today that she was doing this again, but it was just there in the corner of her eye, the trees and the darkness. She was in her room but sometimes the wooden floor in her room turned into that path, that damn path she had run in her nightmare. The walls around her, walls that she had seen her entire life, are becoming trees. But when she would focus on them it all became normal again. 

She was counting her fingers and repeating to herself that she wasn’t crazy. 

She was pacing, she couldn’t even bring herself to play her cello, and all she could focus on was the changing room and the sounds. Her mother and father were checking in on her in ten minute intervals, she looked at her alarm clock, it was custom made, a gift from her parents, in the shape of her cello. She rubbed her palms against her eyes. She had six minutes before either her mother or father came into see her. 

It had given her clues, to pay attention to her surrounding to what was behind her, the boy, hounds and the riddles. This was a game, and she had a suspicion that either her sanity or her life was on the line. She stopped her pacing, looking out her window. She could see two people running out of the preserve, it circled the whole town, in some areas divided it, but it was always trapping them in. She focused in on them, but it seemed the more she tired the focus on the forms the more they seemed to change, shifting till they seemed more dog like. 

She closed her eyes, reminding herself that this wasn’t a dream, this was real. When she opened them again, she caught a glimpse of Derek and Laura running towards her house. Their family lived in the preserve, she remembered her father mentioning that the majority of the preserve belonged to the Hales it was their land, had been for generations, even before the rest of the founding families of Beacon arrived. 

She watched them, noticing that Derek was looking up at her, not even pausing in his running. He smiled at her with a wide smile and she would have smiled back or even waved, but that little part of her told her this was too much of a coincidence. He didn’t seem fazed at her lack of response; she doubted he could even really clearly see her. 

She looked at her fingers and began to count again, five one each hand, ten in total.  
……….

He had wanted to write a fairy tale. 

Something new for his nieces and nephew, a fairy tale that could be placed beside the treasured and hidden collection of Disney ones that made residence on their bookshelf, but his idea was becoming more Grimm and Folk than well, Disney. He had recovered his watercolors and closed his sketchbook; he had been painting that child, the Stilinski boy for about a month now, in various degrees of age. His journals were unattended, regardless of his mother’s gentle reminders and approval that he had a gift, which his gift needed to be completed. He wasn’t fooled; she was waiting, watching those doors and waiting. 

“You seem troubled.” The little fox stated in amusement, thinking this was more an artistic problem than a moral one. He was a child and thanks to Cora now indoctrinated in the belief of happily ever after, even if it meant with Derek. 

“Shouldn’t you be out wandering the preserve, following little witches while you have time?” he snapped back, his tone lost on the child who was trying again to turn over his box of charcoal sticks. Peter reaches out and grabs at the box, putting in on a higher shelf and glares at the little brat who he can probably stuff in a shoe box and leave in a closet somewhere. “Or I don’t know harassing my nephew?” 

A tail wags in amusement, before the offending party-the brat-jumps off the desk and walks towards the door, not even looking back. 

Peter looked at his desk-his workspace-picking up a folded piece of paper and frowned. There was a rough sketch of a young girl hanging from the beams in the cellar; a little smudged fox was staring at the hanging corpse. He refolded it and placed it under one of his sketchbooks. Wondering why he had suddenly found himself, feeling responsible. He knew he would be, he would take to raising the child. 

He heard a yelp, knowing Derek and Cora had decided to tackle Void who earlier had been nipping at their ankles and toes when they passed his new claimed territory of under the kitchen table. 

Peter let out a sigh, wondering not for the first time if it would be possible to just stop everything. But the problem, about knowing what is and will happen, is remembering that everything is not an exact timeline. Things can change, sometimes for the worse or for the better, it’s like seeing multiple screens of the same movie told in different ways. It can be confusing especially when he has a conversation with someone; he has to remind himself exactly where and when he is. 

Which is what he reminds himself when three hours later, he found himself sitting at the kitchen table with his mother and sister. 

He knew why. His sister was to be the next alpha after their mother; she was smarter than he gave her credit for. She had seen the little witch, had smelt the magic, a very specific type of magic that was everywhere here, on them. She also knew that her sons bond with Void was not complete; it wouldn’t be for at least another two years. Two years of knowing that while accepted into the pack, Void had the option-leaving their pack disgraced and Derek heartbroken-of returning to his family. An option that was being ignored, unmentioned to the still pup of a fox. 

He looked away from his sister, her eyes accusing and promising pain. 

“You two are close, so you know when and where Void is meeting with the little witch.” Talia demanded, there was something in her tone that caused him to feel the need to bare his teeth. Her eyes went to their mother who was sitting to calmly at the table, looking to aware of the situation. “What are you letting Void do?” she asked. There was no answer given to her, “Why does the little witch smell like Void?” 

She had sent her two oldest out and her youngest off with her husband to see some movie, leaving them alone in the house, she knew the little fox wasn’t here. He had walked out earlier that morning, to “explore” the preserve, her son in his hound form hot on his heels. Some game of tag Laura had told her they played. When she had returned from the store with Laura, Derek had been there sitting at the table looking smug, eating cookies and bragging to his grandmother at how fast he was, and how annoyed Void was that he could catch him now. Now sitting at the table with her brother and mother, a sense of foreboding mixed with betrayal was high. 

“The little witch will be a part of our pack.” Her mother informed her, in her alpha voice. “You cannot interfere in this Talia; you will not interfere in this.” 

“My son, your grandson…..Your nephew will be affected by this, don’t try and tell me that he won’t.” she snapped at them. “I know what happens when a witch and demon tie themselves, there’s no room for anything else but the other. My son is going to lose his mate, the witch is the reason why Void can’t accept Derek.” She snarled, her teeth dropping and claws out tearing into table. “You know this, you’re encouraging it!” 

Peter flinched, their mother did not, she wasn’t even fazed. Instead her eyes were cold, like she was waiting for the temper tantrum to end so Talia could be reasoned with. Peter wanted to leave the room he knew how this battle of wills was going to end. 

“The witch will be a member of this pack.” Their mother repeated. “You will not interfere.” 

Talia stared at her mother. “This witch means more than your own grandson?” 

Their mothers’ eyes flashed red, “Talia!”

“Void chose his body.” Peter answers suddenly, his sister stares at him with wide eyes; their mother turns her red ones on to him. He keeps his eyes on his sister, “Void chose his skin.” 

There a flicker of emotions that runs across his sister’s face. Uncertainty and understanding are what settles there in the end. She looks at her mother, and nods.  
…………….

When she was younger, her aunt, now her adoptive mother had forced her for two years to see a doctor. This doctor had informed her and had her repeat after him, till she answered as she had been taught that there had been no monster in the house the night her mother was murdered. It was only  
her mind, attempting to make sense of what she had witnessed. She had seen her mother slaughtered, murdered and eaten in front of her. To her the crazed man was a monster, with sharp teeth that seemed to be everywhere, not a crazed unknown man that used a knife. Because he had never been caught, her mind had decided that he would have come for her too. Even If her father had shot at the murder, had unloaded his gun into him, one time even shooting him in the head, the monster had run off, and her father had taken off after it. Later her father would disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. 

To her that man was a monster, now she was dealing with another one, a fox. She could never trust the fox they were trickster and from what she had been able to learn as her parents had lethargically watched over her rare use of the internet, was that when one offended a fox, there was no way to stop it until it was appeased. Only she didn’t know what she had done, even with the warnings, she was playing a game for her life. 

She would need help that was where Derek and Laura would come in. She had an idea about two of the clues she had been given, the boy and the path. If she found that path, she’d find the boy. But she would need information, knowledge and who better than those that lived in the area she had dreamed about, they had been in the preserve, their family owned it. 

Who better to tell her the stories? 

To show her the way?

Staring at Derek and Laura from the top of the stairs, watching and listening as her mother was trying to make an excuse for her, something that would make them leave. She understood it, her mother was worried, blaming Derek and the incident at school for her current state of mental health. Flexing her fingers she mentally counted them, tapping them against her thumb making sure she had five in each hand and ten in total. 

“You look better?” Laura said, her voice breaking the tense silence that had settled when the three at the front of the doorway noticed her. 

Mrs. Matthews was about to say something when Paige interrupted. “I was going to take a walk; you two want to walk with me?” Paige looked at her mother, hopping she’d understand. Needing her to, she needed to speak to them, she needed the numbers they provided her with. And if she was right the power and protection. 

Her mother stared at her seeing the look in her eye, the same her brother had when he sensed an adventure, and she knew that if she denied Paige, she’d sneak out. This time she’d be with two others, not alone. With reluctance, she had no choice but to agree and set some type of rule. 

“Just stay close to the house.” Her mother pleaded. “If you feel faint, you come back.”

With a nod she walked down the stairs, smiling, knowing her heart was beating faster as their eyes seemed to flash red.  
………….

Along the tree line that separated the outskirts of the preserve and the backyards of the sporadic houses in the area, three children played-well two-a game of tug rope, laughing and stopping when Void became tangled in the rope. 

“Hell Hounds.” Void answered from the edge of the tree line where the boys were playing, well pretending to play while secretly talking to him. It was rare that Mrs. Stilinski let them out of the house at all lately, but today Mr. Stilinski had commented that the boys needed to be outside, and it was going to be fine. Void had been relieved, there was a new ward that had arrived from Gemin’s grandmother, it was getting harder for him to enter and leave the house, even with Gemin granting him permission. The purpose was to trap him, to keep him away or sealed in. If he was trapped, his pack would look for him. 

“Hell hounds?!” Scott hissed, as he tried to take the jump rope from Void, who was using his claws to cling to it. “Like the ones on that movie?” he asked. Gemin nodded, he had stayed up to watch that episode of lost tapes, his father had found out when after hearing a dog bark he had screamed and thrown himself into his parents bed. 

“Like what?” Void questioned, refusing to let go of the jump rope, it had smacked him in the face three times, and he was going to make sure it never got another chance to do it again.

“Like, scary dogs..big really big…scary dogs that eat people.” Gemin added. 

“But,..these look human.” Scott added. 

“Some can shift, or…..” Void stopped looking at the two boys who were staring at him. “or they can’t like me.” 

“Why can’t you?” Gemin asked. 

Void tilted his head in thought, letting out a shrug with his shoulders before starting to naw on the rope that was away from Scott’s fingers. He didn’t know how to explain it, well he did, but not without slightly scaring his friends. 

“Are they dangerous?” Scott asked.

“No, I live with some.” Void answered, looking now at Gemin. “They’re not dangerous, a little loud and really sneaky.” 

“Sneaky?” Gemin asked. 

Void nodded, “They like to sneak up on you when you’re sleeping…and then pull on your tail or throw paper balls at you.” He informed them thinking of Laura and Cora. He had learned it was best to sleep in Peter’s room to avoid them. 

“They looked scary.” Scott mumbled.  
……………

They had been walking for awhile now, Paige walked in the middle of them, ignoring but aware of the looks both siblings shot each other as they walked deeper into preserve. She knew she’d find the path, the fox wanted her to, had basically engraved it into her brain. 

“So…you were sick?” Laura asked. 

“I had a night terror.” She answered. “and jumped of the second story railing.” She didn’t miss the widening of their eyes, “I dreamt that I had offended a fox and he was intent on seeing me learn my lesson.” 

“A fox.” Laura said, there was a quiver in her voice, “but there are no foxes in this part of California not even in the zoo, at least last time I was there, there wasn’t, right Derek.” 

Derek nodded and looked straight ahead but his eyebrows were in deep thought. He knew Void was upset, but he had figured after that talk everything was good again. Void seemed to be more accepting of him and his place in the pack. Even if he didn’t right now, he would understand that he wasn’t being made into someone different, he’d still be him, just able to walk in the human world. He smiled to himself, his mate would be like him able to walk and exist in both worlds. 

“There was a boy with him, they had the same eyes.” Paige added, now looking at Laura. 

“That is quite the nightmare, have you been reading Stephen Kings book or watching VHS movies?” she asked. “Or watching any Carpenter movies?” trying to get Paige to believe that it had to be her imagination and not a fox, that was their pack mate. 

She shook her head, “Are there any stories about the preserve?” 

“What kind?” Derek asked, his calm voice seemed forced out now. 

Paige shrugged her shoulders, she just wanted information, and she needed that information. “I’m sure there are a lot of stories about these woods, I know we’re told to stay away from them.” she took a right along a new path, “you live in the preserve, I’m sure you know everything about it.” 

Laura looked at her brother who shrugged. This conversation was going to be shared with their mother and grandmother. 

“Well, there is one….my uncle told me about it.” Laura started. “It’s about a skin walker who fell in love with one who could never love him back.” 

“I don’t like that one.” Derek stated. 

Paige stopped walking and looked at Laura, her mind going back to what she had been told in her dream-nightmare-about hounds. “What is a skin walker?” she asked them as they looked at her a little surprised that she didn’t know what one could be, or heard of one. Beacon Hills was full of legends about monsters, demons, hunters and witches; everyone had heard at least one before they had even left elementary school. 

“Someone, who can take both animal and human form,” Laura answered. “It’s like those movies with werewolves, except it’s not just on one night.” 

“So in my dream…that boy could have been the human form of the fox.” Paige paused in her thinking; the fox had been making a point, telling her she was insignificant compared to him and what he could do. Was the fox a skin walker, were the hounds skin walkers. Had he been at the school, had he caused what had happened at the school? 

“It must have been a really bad nightmare.” Laura said suddenly, “Maybe we should head back, lots of people are scared of the preserve, it gets hard to see the deeper in you get, I can’t see in the dark, can you?”

Paige looked at the girl who was almost a mirror image to Derek. 

Derek, who had protected her and was now her boyfriend, Paige shook her head, “You can go back, If you’re scared, have to see something. I think I know where the fox is.” Paige answered, ignoring how they seemed to change before her, this close she could see the red in their eyes, smell the fire that seemed to radiate of their skins. She tapped her fingers against her thumbs, she wasn’t crazy, the fox had done this to her. 

Feeling annoyed at the turn of events the Hale siblings wanted nothing more than to run home and announce everything to their Alpha and let the adults deal with it. But, Derek was invested in Paige’s body so he shook his head and his older sibling and she made a motion indicating they should just leave Paige a little damaged and go back. 

“We came this far.” Derek added, “Might as well right.” 

Laura shrugged her shoulders and followed.

As they fallowed Paige deeper into the preserve, there was a scent that had caught their attention; Derek looked at his sister, only leaving from her side after she nodded. 

Laura smelled it as well. She knew where her brother had run off to-well what her brother had run off for. It wasn’t uncommon for Void to wander the preserve he had for awhile now, even dragging Cora and her out on occasion to play and just chase the squirrels that weren’t smart enough to hide in the trees at hearing them. They hadn’t eaten any, Void was spoiled now on non rare food that he couldn’t see staring back at him that he had almost forgotten that the meat at home was animal-or the rare treat of human-or a lower threat. She did feel irritated that her brother had left her alone with Paige, but she figured if she had a mate she’d follow them everywhere as well. Just with a bit more dignity that her brother. 

He would get Void; they couldn’t have Paige stumbling on him, not in her current state. Laura would remain with Paige; keep her away from the den.

“Derek has seemed happier lately.” Paige stated softly, “He smiles more.” 

Laura didn’t really know what to say to that, her brother was a little bit different now, but he hadn’t changed who he was at the core, he was just a bit softer. 

“I guess, he doesn’t seem that much different to me.” Laura sighed stopping and looking at the girl who was to be Voids new skin. “Why do you care?” 

Paige stared at her like she had gone mad, or was special in the head. “Does he like me or is this a game, a prank at my expense?” When she said nothing, Paige walked closer to her stopping when they were toe to toe. “What is really happening here Laura? Why does someone who has never paid attention to me, suddenly after all these years doing it now. Why do I suddenly matter to him?” there was a hysteria in the undertone of her voice, leaving Laura wondering what the girl actually knew. Shouldn’t she just be beside herself in glee that she landed Derek, and leave it alone? 

“What do you really want to know Paige, and what do you already think that you know?” 

The two girls stared at each other, waiting the other out. One of them would have to talk first. 

…………..

The two boys were running in and out of the tree line laughing, every time they entered the tree line Void playfully snapped at them and gave chase, stopping at the edge, keeping himself hidden in case Mr. or Mrs. Stilinski was looking out any of the windows or watching from the back porch. He let out a mock growl from his spot in the shadows eyes glowing bright as the two boys laughed at him. He lowered himself on his upper paws, keeping his lower body high and tail wagging, the universal symbol of play in the canine language. The two boys let out a playful shriek and continued playing their game. Void made a move to catch one by the back of their shirts. Void let out a loud laugh of his own, when Gemin shrieked at the snapping jaws aimed at him and ran straight into Scott. Void continued laughing as Scott and Gemin picked themselves up from the floor, giggling the whole while.

They chase each other in between the trees, shrieking and laughing; as they play it’s easy to forget about the monsters. Or to be wary that one might be hiding and waiting for little children to be caught unaware. 

Gemin ran a little deeper into the trees this time, putting maybe a little too much distance between Scott who was following him with Void jokingly snapping at their heels. It was just a game, until Gemin ran into someone. He felt a hand grab him by the front of his shirt, hauling him up so that he was eye level with whoever he had run into on accident.  
……….

It was the smell that had distracted him, had him walking away from his sister and Paige. He knew Void wandered the preserve all the time-that he wasn’t eating or napping in the house-he was curious about his new home and loved that hallowed out tree, where he would nap some more. Really Void napped a lot, but that wasn’t the point. 

He had caught the scent and followed it, he could hear Void and others, laughing and playing. What had run into him smelled like Void, smelled like he had rolled in him. But this child wasn’t his fox. This child had the same eyes as his fox, he remembered what Paige had said, child or not, a threat was a threat. 

Threats would be removed, regardless of who or what they were. 

The boy who looked at him with surprise and wariness but not fear, no those eyes narrowed. Those amber eyes narrowed at him, the child’s hands gripped the arm and wrist attached to the hand holding him up. Their eyes met and locked, the smell of sugar cookies and Void, the two scents tied so deeply on the child, Derek barred his non human teeth, feeling the shift as it threatened to happen, keeping him locked in a half shift, more human than animal. 

Something ran towards them and hit his legs at full force. 

It’s the shock of knowing who it is that makes him drop his prey.  
……………

Scott McCall believed in monsters, he had seen them, and now they knew it. 

Scott yell is cut off by Gemin grabbing his hand and pulling him at a fast pace away. Void is the only thing that is going to keep them and it apart. They know that if Void fails, it is going to kill them. One had tried to hurt Gemin, and Void, tiny little Void was going to try and stop it. 

Void keeps his teeth bared and growls at his still shocked mate. The look on Derek’s face hurts him somewhere deep in his heart, its confusion and betrayal all aimed at him. He in some way wants to comfort him but he can’t because Gemin, he knows that now, because of his actions, he will never be able to talk Derek out of killing Gemin. The hound is trained to remove threats, and Gemin is a threat to his bond with his mate, a threat to keeping his mate beside him and their pack safe. He had already seen those claws aimed at Gemin’s neck, the teeth that wanted nothing more than to tear its prey limb from limb. 

“I won’t let you hurt him!” Void snarls. 

Derek stares at him before giving an answering snarl than letting out a howl. Calling his pack for a hunt, Voids eye widen, before dashing after his witch and new friend. He can protect them, he can outsmart the hounds, he has to. Derek chases after him, running on his two legs at first, before shifting. He chases after his mate on four legs, he will find his mate, take him home, keep him there and make him watch as he kills the two outsiders that dared to interfere, to take his mate. To make his mate betray him.   
…….

“Tell me what you are.” Paige demands, her hands are clutching at her sleeves, trying to feel and look brave in the face of a monster. A monster that was very capable of killing her. Paige tried to keep her eyes focused but there something about the smoke, and the eyes, the red eyes that stared at her. 

“What I am?” Laura repeats uncertain. “Am I supposed to be something?” she questions listening to the pounding of the other girl’s heart. It sounds skittish like prey, “What am I supposed to be?”

Laura should drag Paige out of the preserve by her arm. Take her back to her home, her skittish and nervous mother, and then help brother chase whatever it is that he has called for them to hunt. But she can’t, she won’t, Paige is smart. She can’t be trusted to stay away, already heading in the direction of their den. No one has been there unless invited and even then, they are picked up and brought over. 

Nothing has been a danger for them for years, hunters and covens stay away from here. But Void is out there, he’s small and defenseless maybe something went after him or he ran into something like a newly powered witch. She knows that the newest pack mate is curious and trusting, maybe thought he could make a friend. She knows what witches do to demons, and where one witch is a coven will follow. 

“Hell hound.” Paige answers, “The hound guards the path between the world of theirs and ours. Able to wear both the skin of man and beast, none can tell the difference between, neither hunter, witch nor chosen meat. They travel in packs along the paths waiting for the old ones to be summoned back. If you land in their path you can never escape, once it sees you, you can never escape your fate. Beware its teeth sharp and claws that burn, eyes of fire and a howl that souls it does steal. For when the hound has your scent you will be its meal.”

“Where did you hear that?” she asks, both hearing the howl and then the answering ones. She knows who they belong to, she wants to howl back let them know that she will join them but can’t. Not with Paige who may be too smart for her own good, other hounds will answer soon, and then other supernaturals will be in the preserve tonight. No one likes to miss out on a hunt; all they need is her grandmother’s howl to call them. Her brother howls twice, for her and their family, and to let them know this is a family hunt. Hales only. 

“That fox, he gave me that clue; he told me a story about the old gods.” Paige is yelling at Laura, she can hear the howls, there is something in the woods. “Tell me what’s happening!!” She gets no answer. There are more howls, but she can’t tell the difference between them or even if they are from the same source. 

“You want to know about monsters, about a fox, that in your dream told you a story about old gods and now I’m a hellhound?” Laura summarized to the almost, would soon be hysterical girl. 

Paige stared at her with narrowed eyes, teeth working on her lower lip as she tried to think. Laura would have felt pity for her, but she knew just like Derek did, Void had found Paige. 

“I’m not crazy.” Paige said, her fingers tapping against her thumb. 

“Yeah, what you said sounds sane.” 

“I know what you are!” she shouts clenching her fists beside her, “I read it, and I saw it, I saw the abyss, I saw the old ones.”

Laura can smell the sugar cookies in the air, the fear, and can hear the sounds of prey running, she glares at Paige, she should be with her pack not babysitting a meat suit. Especially not one that sounds insane, that smells different. The undertones are magic, voids magic, a child’s trick gone wrong. 

“You had a bad dream, there are no monsters.” she finds herself telling Paige, trying not to say anything about her eyes, which are turning strange now. 

Paige let out a laugh her fingers tapping faster against her thumb. “I can prove it to you, I know where he is, I know the path.” 

Laura stared at her, raising her eyebrow in clear disbelief. “You know where the fox is…” Paige nodded, “…and you want to take me there?” Paige nodded again. Laura stared at her, it wouldn’t be that much trouble to just kill her here, another wild animal attack or missing person, something, but she had to know if Paige did know the way to the den. “Fine.”  
………….

Gemin needs to make it home; he needs to get them home to his mother and father. His father who is a deputy, who can protect them from the monster, Void can hold him off a little with his tricks. Buy them enough time to get where it’s safe, home, it’s warded against monsters. Part of him wants to go back, to find Void and help him but all he can make is fox fire. He knows that if he believes he can do more, that he can but right now, all he can see if that thing and Void. See Void run at that thing, and knock him down, and telling them to run. 

Scott lets out a wheezing noise, Gemin looks at him with wide eyes, Scotts inhaler, he knows Scott has it in his pocket; he stops letting Scott do what he needs to do. He keeps looking around the area, calming when he feels the tug of magic under his skin, Void has found them. He runs up them, rubbing against them in greeting as he sniffs at them in order to check their health. 

“I changed the paths in the forest, they can’t track us, if they get close the path changes.” He tells them quickly, panting. They hear more howls and Void moves so he is facing whatever is it, “He called his pack.” He listens then suddenly his tail wags. “Peter’s not here.” 

“Peter?” Gemin asks as he checks on Scott. 

Void nods. “He’ll help us.” The two boys look at him, “I can get you home, but stay in the house, if I can get to Peter, then he can make them see, he can keep us safe.” His mood is slightly soured when he catches another smell on the wind, one that he knows very well, and an idea of what lead to this, begins to fill his mind.  
….

The hounds meet in the middle, noticing that the woods are changing around them. They shift back into human form to speak. Talia looks at her son, he is aggravated and hurt, he doesn’t meet her eyes, just stares at the ground. 

“The baby witch.” His mother starts before placing a hand on his shoulder, “He bewitched Void, used his magic to turn him against you.” Her son looks at her then, clinging to her words. “It’s been done before, a witch wants something that isn’t theirs and they take It. Corrupts it, until there is nothing of him left.” she smooths some of her sons hair away from his face. “Voids magic won’t last long, and tonight we’ll get him back. He’ll need you to be strong. Just remember that he's been bewitched, he doesn't know what he's doing.” 

Derek nods, he can imagine his curious mate coming across a newly powered witch. Thinking this was something like them, he had never seen a witch before, only heard about them. Thinking this child could do tricks like him, could be his friend. Someone to play with them. it strikes a cord deep in him, an anger that burn to bright. The witch will die, be a sacrifice to the old ones. 

“I had him, then Void, he came and saved him. There was another boy with them, he smelled sick, something in his lungs.” 

Talia nodded at her son, pleased that he was sharing the information with her. “My brave boy.” 

Before he can even speak, his grandmother, their Alpha was speaking. “Void was bewitched by the baby witch, it might have been on accident, but we need to get Void back.” She looks at Derek with the same approving look she had when he had first shifted and brought her a rabbit, he was staring at their grandmother with this hopeful glimmer in his eye. Whatever their grandmother said was law. If she was promising that Void would be their pack mate again then he was. 

“We will have to do this without Laura, she's still with Paige.” Derek says somewhat sad that his sisters and uncle will not be participating in this hunt; his father ruffles his hair, giving him support. 

“What do we do?” His father asks. 

Their alpha smiled at them softly, “We find and then take the boys to the church, free Void of whatever bonds that hold him, complete his bonds with our pack. We all must do what needs to be done. Now then let us hunt.”  
……………

Gemin was raised on fairy tales. 

His grandparents had told him all the stories they knew, telling him that in those stories were very important facts. Monsters were real, they existed and some could look exactly like them, there was no way to tell them apart unless you knew the tricks. Which he had learned, he knew that the girl with the mean eyes was a monster, the flower he had placed on her skin burned her. It didn’t burn anyone else, he had checked it, but no one believed him. His mother and father had made the apologies blaming his grandparents on his mother’s side and the fact that he was impressionable and prone to obsessions. The girl’s mother had stared at him, obviously upset but there was something else, like a warning in her eyes. A promise that she’d never forget this moment or him. 

Now he was sneaking around the preserve clutching his friends hand and following Void. There were hounds in the woods, tracking them, hunting them, he was terrified. Scott was clinging to him, trying to be quiet when really both just wanted to cry, but Gemin knew that they couldn’t. His father said the best way to survive a situation was to remain calm, which meant if all three of them wanted to make it to his home, where it was warded from those that wanted to tear them into bite able pieces than he needed to be calm. As calm as he could be given the situation. Void was using his magic to change the paths, but the hounds could find them, so they had to be quiet. 

The howls were loud, each one them almost tripping over each other, and it was getting darker. Void would look back at him, at them, making sure they were close to him and safe. Once they were safe, Void was on his own, he would get to Peter. 

They walked in huddled silence till they reached the edge of the preserve. Void looked back at them; the house was there, safety was there. Gemin frowned at him, shaking his head, trying to urge him to come with them. But Void couldn’t not until there were safe. With a nod, Gemin and Scott ran towards the house, ran as fast-faster-than they ever thought they could until they were in the house, running until they were hugging the legs of a very confused deputy Stilinski. 

“The howls scared you two didn’t they?” John said knowingly, “they say there are no wolves here, but I think those howls say differently.” 

Gemin and Scott only hugged his legs tighter.  
………

Laura had been following Paige, she had her in her sights, but she had turned, looked away for a few seconds to try and understand what her family was howling about. The tone was sharper, something was wrong. When she had turned back, Paige was gone. Just gone, not in front of her like she had been, and the path she had been on was gone. Laura frowned and howled, letting her pack know her location adding in her feeling of anxiety, there was a chorus of howls after hers died down. Sounding close, but she couldn’t see them, only hear them. This was magic, someone was using magic to confuse them. She only knew one powerful magic user, who might do this, the boy was in the woods. 

The baby witch was in the woods, with them. 

Her mind went to the possible scenarios, she could imagine Void smelling them, heading towards them than running into someone else, her brother going in search and finding them, either being curious of each other or something else. Children could be cruel and a bright colored fox was something that was rarely if ever seen here. Derek might have scared them, and now they were separated. 

Laura howled again. 

She could hear her pack howling back, letting her know they were on their way. They would get to her  
……

Paige was lost and alone in the preserve where wolves she supposed was howling. But there were supposed to be no wolves in California, her eyes narrowed. Hounds were here, she was close then to the den, the fox had given her those clues. He lived with the hounds, which was his warning. He was protected by hounds. She looked behind her, Laura lived in the preserve she knew her way around, and probably even knew who or what was howling. She was safe, no doubt that was why Derek took off, he knew what was out there. She frowned, he knew, who was out there. 

The key word was who. 

The monsters could take on human form, and she was now alone in the preserve. 

At least she thought she was, there walking towards her was that fox, the same one from her dream-nightmare-glaring at her.  
………………….

Cora sits with her uncle in the living room, she is aware that her family, her immediate pack is out on a hunt, she heard her brother call. Her uncle has her coloring, while he stares at the hallway, watching for something she guesses. 

“Do you think everyone is okay?” she asks, she’s too young to remember the last time any of them had to fight but she remembers the stories, her sister had told her. Uncle Peter looks at her a little surprised, like her talking to him was not what he expected. He leans in his seat on the sofa so he’s closer to her where she draws at the small table. 

“Everyone will be fine and everyone will come back.” He tells her, smiling but he’s worried about something too. 

She can tell from the look in his eyes and how he fidgets. Her father tells her that all Hales have the same tells, even her, that’s how he knows when their lying. 

“Can you tell me a story?” she asks in her sweetest voice. She wants to he held, and comforted, this feels different that the other runs, where she had been allowed to go. This time, even Peter stayed. 

“I think I have one, it’s about a hunt.” He tells her sitting back and patting at the seat next to him, she scrambles over to him and all but clings and burrows herself into his side. “A hunt for a missing pack member, a fox who was lost and a girl that came to know to much.” He summarizes for her. She looks up at him and nods, he smiles at her before he continues. 

“In a town surrounded by woods, there was a girl. She was a special girl who was blessed with knowledge, she knew all that was and would be. But even with all her knowledge, it hadn't stopped her from falling in love with a hound, that love had her keeping the hounds secret, in the day he was a man, but at night he wore the skin of large black hound whose pack kept the woods and the town inside safe. The hound knew that her love for his human form would keep her silent, but he knew that if she ever became aware of whom he loved, she’d bring in the hunters.”

“Would she really bring in the hunters?” 

Peter looked at his niece and nodded, “The hound believed she would, and he had been waiting for a long time for his love. So he was very scared, while he could change form his love couldn’t, so only at night could they ever be together, but the fox was curious. He wanted to know what happened in the day , so one day he followed the hound to the town, and he saw them together. Thinking he had been lied to the fox didn’t return home to the den, instead he walked the town until day became the shadows of night. The missing fox wasn't unnoticed, because never before had the fox ever left the den. The hounds waited thinking that the missing member of their pack was soon to return.

The fox while wandering the town at night ran into a witch. The witch sensing the power in the fox and the power boost it would bring him began to speak with the fox, befriending him. Soon leading the fox towards his home, and offering that the fox could live with him and his helper, but he could never return to the hounds. The heartbroken fox agreed and stayed with the witch, unknowing that the hound and his pack were waiting. On the second night of the fox not returning, the alpha of the pack agreed that each night and day they would search for their missing pack member.” 

“How could the fox do that, even Void wouldn’t?” 

Peter ran a hand along her hair and smiled, “Time with the witch passed differently, it had been three days for them but for him it was the same day and he was having fun playing. He was playing a game of tag with the witch and the helper, running in and out of the trees and laughing, the fox didn’t know that the witch had cast a spell, so day would never end and the fox would always be heard but never seen. On the fourth night, the hound heard him, he could hear the fox laughing and playing, but no one was there in the area that he searched, so he sat there and howled.” 

“So he could find him, like mom does when she wants us to come home.” 

“The fox could hear him but he couldn’t see him either, but the older hounds knew when they arrived to their howling pack member that this was the area where the witch lived. An area they avoided, since it was the darkest, oldest and deepest part of the woods. The Alpha approached the edge of the witches home and demanded to be seen, but the witch only spoke refusing to be made visible to the hounds, he knew they would attack him if they saw him. 

“Why have you called for me?” the witch demanded. 

“You have a member of my pack and I want him returned.” The alpha stated, listening for the witch to get to close so she could close her teeth around its neck. 

“I have no pack member of yours, only my helper and our friend.” The witch answered. “but I have no Hounds.” 

The alpha was not to be denied and snarled, “I can hear the missing member of my pack, if you don’t return him this will mean a war.” 

The witch didn’t want to fight but he also didn’t want to lose what he had gained, so he made a deal. 

“Bring me the girl.” He demanded, “The one that helped to break the heart of your missing pack mate and I will return him to you.” Now the witch thought he had won, since the hound must love the girl if he was to be with her and not the fox. The alpha agreed. “

Cora turned when she heard the door open, but her uncle only shifted her to face forward again. Continuing to stroke his hand along her hair, both listening as the footsteps passed behind them, one on two legs the other on four, walking down the hall, she looked up at her uncle unsure what to say before he looked at her and smiled. 

“The alpha brought the girl to the witch?” Cora asked, hearing the door to the cellar close with a slam. Peter nodded and placed a kiss on the top of her head before he continued. 

“They tricked the girl, told her she was going to see their den finally, be made a member of the pack. With her love towards the human form of the hound she agreed. And entered into the deepest and darkest part of the woods, the girl followed. The witch was waiting, the little fox at his side, but he had a plan, a cruel trick, all so he could keep the fox. He changed all the paths in the woods, so no one could find his home.” 

Cora gasped at him, looking shocked and appalled that the witch would do that, thinking of her own pack would do in that situation. Peter only smiled. 

“But he forgot that the hounds could smell him, and hear him. They might not be able to see him or find him but they could come close. Which the witch soon came to realize was becoming very close, too close. The fox who was listening, could hear the sound of his pack howling, now remember he believed it was still the same day, he wasn’t aware of what was or had happened. So the little fox, he howled back, loudly. It broke the spell, letting the other hounds find them. 

“I brought her.” the alpha growled, “now release the member of my pack.” 

The back door slams open, Derek and Laura come racing in past them, he can hear the rest of his pack coming in, just as fast. The two siblings race past them to the cellar, but the door is closed now and locked, uncaring as the two siblings bang on the door. 

“Uncle Peter..” she asks, he doesn’t know if she asking about the story or the sudden situation. He watches as the other members arrive, knowing like he does that something has come to pass. He looks back at her with a smile, she cuddles against him looking for comfort at this time.


	7. Rumors Before a Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We cling to the belief that our parents will save us, people are good and nothing bad will ever happen. We cling to those beliefs to the very end, to the very

Lorraine Martin was terrified. 

Her family had been in Beacon Hills for almost as long as the Hales had, being well aware of what the Hales actually were. It was one of the reasons they stayed. The Hales offered the banshees protection, and in return the banshees swore their loyalty to the Hales. Part of that loyalty was to ensure that the Hales were warned of any threats they sensed. 

Lorraine is and always would be loyal, but what she sensed now, didn’t feel like a threat against the Hales. To her, it felt more like a warning, but of what and to who she didn’t know. It started as a tingle in the back of her mind. Soon it changed to a sound, a low noise that she could hear but couldn’t make out. It was just there, like a dull ache. 

Then Monday happened. 

The warning came in the vision of a girl that was struggling to breathe. 

The girl wore a bright white dress, her hair in braids and looked like a princess. Only the girl was clawing at her throat struggling for breath, staring at Lorraine with horror. Lorraine was watching the girl die; it seemed to be happening in slow motion before the girl collapsed into nothing. If Lorraine wasn’t what she was, she might think she was going insane, but she was a banshee. 

She could be seeing this for many reasons. The girl could be a warning of something that was to come, had already died and needed to be found, or was a victim of the many paranormal things that lived in Beacon Hills. The worst case scenario was that the girl was one of the paranormal and had died either by accident, hunters or a coven. Lorraine needed more information, right now this was only a vision, and she might still have time to figure out what she needed to do. She checked the missing person’s posters at the station, stopping by under the pretense of visiting the Sheriff. The girl from her vision wasn’t there. 

On Tuesday the vision changed, it was the same girl, still in the white dress but it torn and dirty, hair a mess and her any bare skin was dirty and scratched up. She looked like she had been running for her life. She was trying to scream but no sound came out. The girls’ hands were scratching at her throat, Lorraine tried to take in every detail. The girl was staring at her, she reached one hand out, but the sound that came out wasn’t the girls’ voice, nor a scream, it was the voice of a child. 

A child’s voice. 

Asking if she wanted to play a game. 

Lorraine knew there was something more to her vision, but now, this felt more like a warning. 

Wednesday morning, the girl was back. The girl’s hands were clawing at her throat again, attempting to scream, but there was no sound, until suddenly there was and it was deafening. It was a loud scream, and it grew louder as her own was pulled out as well, echoing. It was the scream of a banshee. Death was coming, something was coming. Something big was coming or was already here, attempting to get a foothold and drag itself all the way in. She picked up the phone and called the Alpha. Even if she didn’t yet understand it, the warning needed to be heard. 

It was on the third ring that the phone was picked up. 

“Hale residence.” 

“Alpha Hale.” Lorraine began. 

“Lorraine.” the Alpha greeted. 

“I’ve been having visions, but I feel there is something more to them, that something is coming. I believe there is a death coming, a girl, and there’s a child involved.” 

There’s a long pause, it worries her at first that the Alpha hung up, she’s getting ready to say something when the lights begin to flicker and she can hear a child’s voice in the phone, the same child’s voice and it’s so very clear. 

“I want to go home. Why, why can’t I go home?” The child says followed by a burst of static and then the dial tone. 

Lorraine stares at the phone in her hand for a while before placing it back on the receiver. It’s pushed to the back of her mind, after she receives another call that asks for her to pick up her granddaughter at the school. There’s a problem with the electrical wiring at the school. 

That’s when she sees the girl, the same girl from her vision walking towards the parking lot of the high school; right across the street from where she is parked waiting for her granddaughter to be escorted by her current crush. She continued to stare at the girl; she recognizes the two with her, Laura and Derek Hale. Maybe one of her suspicions was correct, the girl will die because of the paranormal, the supernatural in the town. It’s on the drive home that she learns the name of the girl and some gossip. 

“Parrish,” Lydia begins sounding annoyed just having to say the name, “says Derek has a girlfriend, even though he has a mate.” The girl looks at her nails seeming indifferent to what she is saying, “That Paige must really be special if he was willing to risk his mate to make-out with her in the girls bathroom.” 

“Has Parrish seen Derek’s mate yet?” Lorraine asks. The newest member of the immediate Hale pack has not been seen yet by the outer or aligned packs. She knows that it’s a fox and is still underage, still needs to be protected and guarded. 

Lydia shakes her head and pouts, “We were getting to fractions and division, I already mastered multiplications.” 

Lorraine smiles, pleased and grateful that her grandchild is intelligent; she can only hope her little Ariel never tries to change or hide that fact. Everything seems normal until that night. She is alone in her home, it’s a large home but she knows it won’t be empty for long. Her daughter and grandchild will move in one day, she’s senses it, her family has always been high maintenance. She’s too old to fear the dark and to knowledgeable to believe there is nothing there. But in the dark she can feel it. Something is coming, she sees the girl sitting on her sofa staring at her. Her dress is now a faded white, torn and dirty, her hair is a mess coming out of her braids and she looks angry and around her throat is a red mark, embedded into the skin of her neck. The girl opens her mouth as if to speak but once more it’s the child’s voice that she hears. 

“He stared into the abyss; fear had stolen his voice as he took in all the rot and filth that remained trapped. His skin would be shredded on their claws and teeth, his flesh and blood but a reminder of the taste they had feasted on before, his bones a decoration. This would be his tomb, the price paid for what he knew. His eyes took it all in, soon he would see no more, be no more, but those in the pit remember and they will never forgive. I will never forgive, and I will never forget, I swear it.” 

The light in her living room flickers as the vision fades, leaving Lorraine alone in her living room staring at an empty sofa. She stood there for a few seconds before she was rushing towards the phone prepared to call the alpha and let her deal with it. She rushes to her phone, but there is no dial tone only static. She hangs up the phone and heads up the stairs to her room, tomorrow she will have her granddaughter, tomorrow she will call the alpha, and by tomorrow whatever is in her house will be gone. 

Thursday morning the feeling hasn’t faded. 

When her daughter Natalie drops off Lydia before heading off to work, the feeling has grown. 

“Mom, do try and explain to Parrish why he has to stay away from Lydia. I can keep him away from the house, and I’d like for him not to see her here either.” The annoyance in her voice is tinged with irritation, “He needs to learn that my daughter will have a normal childhood, she has a right to choose.” 

Lorraine has heard this argument before, “I’ll speak to him.” It’s an argument that they both know will never on their side, but they can buy Lydia time before she is swallowed up into the supernatural underworld of Beacon hills. 

Lydia who is listening lets out a sigh from her place in the hallway. “Can we watch The Little Mermaid?”

The feeling continues to grow till it feels alive, it was more than a presence it carried weight and takes up all the space that her and Lydia are not occupying. It’s slowly suffocating her.   
………..

He is a Finnish fox.

The fourth pup in a litter of seven. 

His kind was rarely ever evil, rarely; they may be tricksters but are a much kinder version of a fox demon than his cousins. But he’s leading this girl to her death. It makes him feel like a monster, like the kind that Gemin and Scott feel the need to keep the lights on in fear of. 

 

He is taking her to the tree; he has always felt safe in the tree, especially in its roots. Its magic spoke to him sometimes, like a parent whispering advice and encouragement. That was where he was taking her, this girl who is so special to his mate. So special that he is going to give her the nicest honor he can think of to give such a special human. He’ll sacrifice her to the tree; offer her to the very roots in his name. 

He lived in a realm of monsters, he understands threats. She is a threat. She was in the woods; she brought Derek into the woods. Because of her, Derek is now aware of Gemin. He had been so afraid when Derek had threatened Gemin, knowing that if he hadn’t been there, he would have found a dead Gemin instead of a live one. He cares deeply for Derek, would even say that he loved him, but what he felt for Gemin, it was different. It was more than love; it was something that he couldn’t explain. And it had hurt so much, so deeply to see the two he cared for the most like that. To smell her, the same scent that had been on Derek’s jacket, to know. He had been with her; he had gone to see her. So now, he wanted to hurt Derek like he had been, to make him feel the pain he felt. 

He wants someone, Derek, to hurt, and he knows hurting her will make it happen. 

His parents and siblings wouldn’t recognize him; they’d be horrified over the thing he is becoming. His mother had been so happy, that he had a mate, it meant he’d be loved and safe for as long as he lived with a pack that would be his family. Derek had supposedly wanted him, had heard him call out for him before Void could even open his eyes. Then he had found Gemin, sweet-innocent- the other half of himself-Gemin. Gemin is his little witch who accepted him, and Void will teach and protect him. 

That’s what he is doing, removing a threat that Gemin will never know about. 

Derek’s girlfriend follows behind him, she stares at him unblinking, unknowing; to her she’s just walking home. Getting ready to go to sleep and put this whole thing behind her. But the magic he is using on her, focusing on her is at a price. Gemin is out of the woods, he is safe in his warded house, and the magic he was using to keep the hounds lost and away from them is fading. He can hear then racing towards them, hear his horrible cheating mate yelling, growling and shifting. Derek is coming to save her, this special little girl from him. Derek yells his name so does Laura, she’s on her way to. It makes something in him break, that his almost-cheating-mate and a member of his pack are choosing her over him. 

He looks at her over his shoulder; she seems so docile, pretty and human. Human, like Derek can be, like Gemin is. What he isn’t can’t be. It hurts him. He continued to walk with her following him, trapped in the illusion he created. He is a monster now, but it doesn’t matter, because he can’t go back. He can’t stop what’s going to happen, what is coming because of what he will do. He can’t stop. He won’t stop. 

He can hear them calling out for him, hear them begging him to answer them. It’s getting louder, which means it-their getting closer. It keeps him moving, he draws on the magic he shares as well as his own, it’s enough, but he’ll be weak after. He can hear Derek calling; there is something in his tone that makes him want to stop. He wants to stop and call out, demand to he held and told it will all be okay, because that tone in Derek’s voice matches what he is feeling. They keep walking till he is in the house, she opens the door for them, and they keep walking past Cora and Peter. 

Peter he trusts won’t stop him, he’s his ally. He knows about Gemin and has always been protecting them. He walks past them and down the hallway to the open cellar doo taking her down the steps. She closes the door and locks it, does so sweetly at his suggestion. They’re not even at the bottom of the steps when he hears something banging at the door, slamming into the door, but it won’t budge. It was made to be resistant. 

“Void open this door now!!” Laura is yelling, “Void let us in!!” she’s the one banging on the door that means Derek is the one slamming against it. “Void! Please! Open this door, say something Void!!”

He has limited time, the Alpha can open the door, and she will. Even if she is lenient with him, she will be upset because she will have to clean up this mess. He’s seen her angry at Derek and Parrish, he doesn’t want that anger directed at him. The pounding and slamming against the door is getting worse, he can hear others now, hear Laura call for the Alpha. He looks at Paige as she wraps the rope around her neck; he looks up at the door. 

“Stay locked.” He tells it, knowing it will. 

He returns his attention back to the threat and watches. What is happening to her, what she is actually doing is much different than the illusion that she is seeing. She stands on the chair, smiling, part of him wants her to suddenly be aware of what she is going to do, she’s smart he knows. They spoke very briefly; it makes him a little sad that someone like her is no longer going to be a part of the world. 

He knows when the Alpha has arrived when his magic feels like it is being pulled to thin, just about to snap. He closes his eyes and rams himself into the chair that Paige stands on with the rope around her neck, the rope is tied to one of the beams in the cellar, it won’t break he tied it himself.   
………. 

The suffocating feeling remains. It’s feels like a rope brushing against her neck, tightening around it. Her granddaughter is asleep, staying the night while Natalie and her husband go off on a date to try and save their marriage. Lorraine sits in the living room watching some reality show to pass the time; it’s nearly 9 when she sees it. The feeling tightens around her throat and the TV flickers off, showing in its screen a cellar. The girl is wrapping a rope around her neck, balancing on a chair. Humming a song as she does, she looks at Lorraine and smiles. Before the chair she is on is suddenly flung out from under her, and the sound of the rope and the snap of her neck. 

Paige is dead, hanging from her broken neck in a cellar. There is a fox sobbing beside the fallen chair, she can hear him, it’s similar to the voice she heard before. The feeling of suffocation fades with each sob from the fox; the cellar remains empty aside from the two occupants she can see. The fox changes shape into a child, a familiar looking child. She moves closer to the screen trying to get a better look at the face, she knows that child. The screen flickers back to the show she had been watching. 

A shape shifter was with Paige, maybe even killed her. She goes to the book shelf in her granddaughters room, grabbing the yearbook off the shelf and checks each page, she knows that child. The shape shifter that was with Paige, she looks through each page till she finds him. Finds his smiling face one row down from her smiling Lydia’s, Gemin Stilinski, but he’s not a shape shifter, Gemin is a witch.   
…………….

Melissa is grateful for her friends. With what was happening in her life, she didn’t want Scott to deal with more than he had to. Her separation soon to be divorce was turning ugly, and not in the way she thought it would. She had the night shift again, looking at her son sitting at the Stilinski dinner table trying to eat pancakes with chop sticks while laughing made her feel it was worth it.   
Claudia was leaning against the counter in the kitchen besides her watching the boys as well. John was currently making more pancakes, the boys were determined, well Gemin was determined. 

“Rafael isn’t even fighting for custody, he wants a paternity test.” Melissa hissed. “Who doesn’t even fight for their own child, he was there the entire time before and after I was pregnant?”

Claudia nodded, “We both know he was never really…into being a father.” She looked at both of the children as Scott gave up and just speared the pancake with chop stick and Gemin was still determined to do it. “Take it as a blessing. Besides after what he did to Scott, would you want him too?” 

Melissa looked at the boys, “No.” she placed a hand over Claudia’s and gave it a comforting squeeze. “It’s all going to be okay.” Claudia squeezed her hand back. “We’re all going to make it through this.” 

Scott looked at his mother as she was talking to Gemin’s mom. Gemin was worried about Void and so was he. They had made it home, but until Void made contact with them, they didn’t know how Void was doing. 

“Do you think that Voids okay?” he asked softly. 

“I can still feel him.” Gemin answered. 

“Do you think that Hell hound hurt him?” Scott asked. 

Gemin shook his head, “No, I think that one is his husband. 

Scott stared at him and nodded. He figured if none of the scary hell hounds had come after them then it meant Peter had helped Void. Peter was there friend, someone that could be trusted, but there was no Void. 

“I think he’s okay.” Scott mumbled, “We’ll see him again, maybe he’s just resting, he used his magic. You get tired when you do your tricks.” Gemin nodded in agreement. “He’ll probably have a big story to tell us when we see him again.” 

“You think I’ll see him tonight?” he asked. 

Scott looked pensive before looking back at his whispering mother and Gemin’s parents. “Do you think me and mom can just move in with your family.” 

Gemin followed his gaze, staring at the adults. “We can share Dad’s, since yours is leaving.” 

Scott nodded, there were a lot of changes happening in his life, but he had Gemin and Void who would remain. They hear Mr. Stilinski’s phone go off, he grabs it and heads into another room to answer it. When he returns, he looks at his wife and nods at Melissa, the two children stare at him. 

“I have to go, Paige Matthews is missing.” He tells Claudia and Melissa, both women look automatically to their own children, who are staring at them. “Sheriff Haigh wants us all to come in, check the preserve before he calls her a missing person’s case.” 

“I’ll keep watch for any Jane Does at the hospital.” Melissa adds. 

John nods his thanks.   
………………

Paige Matthews is missing. 

Her parents called the Hales first when she didn’t return home. There is no answer, just an answer machine with an impersonal message. They call her friends as well, all 3 of them, just in case she went there instead of home. Before the Sheriff’s department was called, the rumors about Paige’s disappearance began to spread. It started with the Lahey house. Camden Lahey was Paige’s friend, and reoccurring lab partner. He told the Matthews all he knew, he hadn’t seen her after she left with the Hale siblings yesterday. 

Heather is there at the house and over hears the conversation on the phone; she like many girls in her class had been attracted to Derek Hale and ignored. It was petty, but she couldn’t stop herself from sending texts to her friends that crazy Paige was missing. 

By the time the Matthews had called the Sheriff’s department, the rumor mill was in full swing. 

Friday came and Paige Matthews is still missing. 

The Sheriff’s department and volunteers searched the preserve, all of it including the Hales property, and found nothing that could help them find Paige. 

She had been last seen leaving her parents house and entering the preserve with Derek and Laura Hale. The Sherriff himself had bent over backwards for the Hales, going to their home for the interview and assuring to be discreet. They had questioned the Hale siblings, lawyers present and both had the same story. 

The three of them had gone into the preserve. Just out walking and talking, then the conversation had started in on Paige’s nightmare and her jumping off the second story railing, then her obsession with monsters and her belief that something was after her. It had upset them, and they had started to head back especially when the howling started, they separated because Paige had started to scare them. Claiming that they were monsters, they left her at the edge of the preserve, not even a five minute walk to her house, they could see her house and everything and then they headed home, believing that Paige had done the same thing. Because why wouldn’t she? 

By Saturday Paige Matthews had been missing for two days. 

Saturday afternoon Paige’s body is found by two out of town hikers that had stumbled across her. 

Paige Matthews had been found, hanging from her broken neck at the edge of the preserve, not even half a mile from her home. It left to many questions and not enough answers, but he was not new to Beacon Hills, this place was different, it had a high suicide, animal attack and missing persons rate.   
………………..

John was familiar with the story of sleeping beauty; it had been one of his favorites as a child. 

He had heard several versions of it as a child and as he had gotten older and had a child of his own, he learned a few more. Some darker than he would have liked his own child to know, but he knew better than to argue with his wife’s family. Now as he looked at the girls school picture in comparison to the ones taken at the scene, he was reminded of the version he had heard being told to his son.

A beautiful girl cursed into an eternal slumber, never to age, never to know of the world that was passing on around her. Till loves kiss broke the spell and she lived again. Only that would be awhile, the one who cursed her was jealous, of her beauty and the rivalry for another’s affection. 

He doubted that was the case for Paige Matthews. There would be no magical kiss to wake her up, she’d decay in the ground and there was nothing any of them could do to change that. 

John let out a sigh as he stared at the file on desk. The current sheriff had passed it off to him, claiming that he was too close to the case, he knew the girls family, knew the girl. He hadn’t questioned it; he didn’t know her, his child was too young to have been friends with her. He leaned back in his chair, this week had been hectic, first the schools then the girl, he didn’t want to sound like an old wives tale, but he knew things came in threes. Something else was bound to happen, one last thing. 

He was just grateful that Gemin was no longer going towards the preserve, those wolves had terrified him and Scott. If Gemin wasn’t going into the preserve than neither was Scott, closing the case file he left his desk to get some coffee. 

He didn’t feel right saying this was suicide, teenagers don’t just disappear and then reappear dead. He wanted to talk to the Hales again, Paige had been dating their son, he was a quiet withdrawn teenager, played in some sports, was a little bit of a cocky brat and well liked by his teammates, but he didn’t really have any friends. He spent his time with his sister, Jordan Parrish and his uncle both inside and outside the school. Maybe he was seeing more than there was, but the Hales were cooperative so far, but he knew that if pressed the Hales had no problem using all their influence to shut this case down. 

It hadn’t helped with the rumors that started the first day she had gone missing. Everyone seemed to have a theory about what had happened. Especially with the new information about Paige’s past history and the sudden knowledge of her nightmare swan dive, it wasn’t pretty. It was disturbing. 

The rumors ranged from a girl who killed herself due to a broken heart and a crazy lunatic who had a mental break with reality. 

John stared at his coffee cup, he didn’t think this was a suicide, his gut told him that it wasn’t. That it was something darker; he placed his coffee cup down. He really just wanted to go home and hug his son. This week was just so hectic. 

The funeral was to be held on a Monday, it was to be a private only immediate family funeral. No one else, he had made the mistake of going to the morgue and seeing her on that slab, dressed in a white dress, looking like she was just asleep. Her father had ushered him out, thanked him for his service and then turned to scream at the Sheriff, that Paige was not suicidal, those Hales had something to do with it. The Sherriff had ordered him out and then the yelling back and forth had begun. The door to the morgue closed behind him, and again he was worried about the amount of power and influence the Hales held. 

“Cases with children are the hardest.” He looked at his partner; Donati was a father too, with a kid just a few years older than his. “Makes you question everything, and this one took her life.” 

“You believe that?” John asked. 

Donati looked at him and nodded, “We’re parents. To us no child would take their own life, but you read the medical report on her, she was on a lot of medication, dangerous medication with serious side effects. Yeah I think something did happen, maybe Hale broke up with her or maybe this was a prank and she just…..couldn’t take it.” Donati looked her picture and smiled. “She was a pretty one.” 

“Maybe, but there’s something not right.” John continued. “I want to talk to the Hale siblings again.” 

Donati laughed, “Good luck with that.” 

John rubbed at his eyes and sighed, he understood that the case was closed and had a suspicion what would happen if he questioned it. “Yeah, I just want to head home and see my kid.” 

Donati nodded, “Yeah, I’m just going to hug Donovan till he threatens to call for his mother.”   
……………

Laura really didn’t know what to say or do. 

When the door to the cellar had opened, Paige had been hanging there, swinging from her broken neck. She was dead and Void was hiding in the roots, his eyes staring at them. Her brother had raced towards the roots trying to get Void, shifting and clawing trying to reach Void. The fox only moved in deeper, whimpering like a child that had been caught being naughty. Sobbing between those whimpers but not moving towards them, even as Derek tried to drag him out. 

At first she expected her grandmother to demand Void come to her and face some punishment. But that didn’t happen, the Alpha had only glanced at Void, and then demanded that Paige be removed and cleaned, and prepared to be returned to the preserve. Her father and Uncle had done this, leaving her and Derek alone with Void in the cellar. She had looked up the stairs to see her mother, staring down at her brother as he lay on the cellar floor reaching for Void. 

She really didn’t know what to do; her mother had assured her everything would be fine and taken care of. Paige was always going to die, but she was to be the human skin for Void, and instead in his jealousy had sacrificed her to the tree. The Nemeton was pleased, it liked Void and kept his sacrifice fresh for him, in case he wanted to use it again later. She didn’t know what to do about her brother and his mate. She liked Void, she liked that he made her brother a little bit softer. But she didn’t know what to do, or how to feel about this. She blamed the little witch for this, he had bewitched Void, tricked him somehow. But the by Alphas orders, the witch was off limits. 

She had been willing to argue, to questions her Alphas orders but from the looks she had noticed between her uncle and mother, there was something else happening. She knew her suspicion was correct when Parrish arrived; he was to distract them, distract Derek. He had stayed shifted as a hound and was guarding the place his mate was remaining in. She wanted to help him somehow, tell him that everything was going to be alright, but that wasn’t enough. Her brother’s mate was denying him; Void had always been affectionate, clingy and whiny towards Derek who had accepted his affection like he was starving for it. Now after Void had run into that witch in the preserve, he was different, colder. 

Cora and Peter had kicked Derek out of the cellar; Peter had assured him that it was going to be alright. Derek had all but thrown a tantrum, again claiming that Peter was too close to Void and if anyone was to coax Void out it would be him. He had relented when the crying started up again, glaring at Peter as he left. 

That left her and Parrish to distract Derek and keep him away from the cellar for awhile. 

“Derek’s even more of a ray of sunshine.” Jordan whispered. 

“He has a lot on his mind.” Laura answered back. “You wouldn’t be a ray of sunshine if it was Lydia.” 

Parrish glared at her, eyes narrowing and flashing red. “I wouldn’t let something like this happen.” 

“Shut up.” Derek and Laura snapped.

“Her funeral is going to be immediate family only, just her parents.” He told them, “at least she’s no longer missing, but her body can’t be destroyed anymore, couldn’t even burn her.” 

“Are you trying to be helpful, because you do realize that what you’re doing is not actually helping.” Laura snapped back. Derek was glaring at him as well, a matching Hale glare set. 

“Just talking.” He responded back. “Have you see Jackson Whittemore, he’s an awkward looking kid, isn’t he.” 

“I don’t really pay attention to little kids.” Laura replied, “I like my romantic interests to my age.” Jordan and Derek stared at her with a look of irritation and annoyance. She only shrugged in response. They heard another giggle from the cellar. “What, I’m sure Lydia will think you’re the most amazing thing in the world once she tires of him.” 

“Ray of sunshine, you both are.” Jordan hissed. “I can see why Void is just begging to assume the position for breeding.”   
………………

John Stilinski stopped by the Matthews house before going home from his shift. He was a little surprised to see Lorraine and Lydia Martian leaving the Matthews house. As he walked past her, she looked at him, there was something in her eyes, a surprise that he was here. 

“Deputy.” Lorraine greeted him. 

“Ladies.” He greeted back. 

He watched them leave and continued his way to the house, Lydia who he had heard so much about, continued to look over her shoulder at him. He smiled at her and gave a little wave. He looked back at the house not the least bit surprised that Paige’s mother was standing in the doorway waiting for him. 

“Deputy.” She greeted, there was a tone in her voice, like she expected him to be there to patronize her. 

“Mrs. Matthews I wanted to talk to you, ask you some questions if you wouldn’t mind.” 

Martha Matthews stood in the doorway looking very angry and defensive and John couldn’t blame her, if it had been Gemin he didn’t like to think how he’d be taking it. 

“That depends deputy, are you here to listen to me or tell me another story to shut me up.” she asked him, raising her chin a little as she did. 

“I’m off duty right now.” he told her. 

She stared at him before moving out of the doorway, “We don’t have coffee in this house, but we do have tea.” 

“Thank you.” he told her as he followed her into the house.   
……

Peter had finally coaxed Void out and into playing a game of tug of war with a large bundle of rope and Cora. He heard the snarling up stairs and the fight that began, between Jordan against Laura and Derek. Cora and Void stopped playing to listen; it wasn’t the first time a fight like that had broken out, or the last. But it was entertaining in the least to some, Jordan was good at holding his own, he needed to be. The Hale siblings fought dirty and never alone, they were weaker alone. 

“Well, I take it Jordan is making friends.” Peter stated jokingly. “Shall we see how is winning?”

Cora looked pleadingly at Void, he made a snuffling sound and then both looked up at Peter, one not wanting to turn into her human shape and the other just not wanting to move. With a sigh he lifted them both up and walked up the steps out of the cellar and towards the living room where the fight was happening. 

Laura and Jordan were circling each other, Derek was behind Jordan snarling, mirroring Jordan’s movements. Keeping him pinned if he tried to move towards one of them, the other would be on him. Laura already had some of his blood in her mouth, just like he had Derek’s. He had fought with the Hale siblings several times before, they fought dirty and never alone, they were weaker alone, and the goal was to focus on one, keep them separate. He snarled as both of them let out mirroring growls. 

It was the scent and sound of the onlookers that stopped them from continuing. Peter let out a soft laughing sound, Cora snarled at the scent of one her sibling’s blood and Void let out a whine. Parrish, Laura and Derek looked at them, but it was Derek who surged forward and grabbed Void away from Peter. Pulling him close, whining and all but smothering the fox in a frantic embrace. Derek was breathing his scent in, his mate was in his arms and docile as he rubbed his cheek against his. Void let out a soft whine, and rubbed his own cheek against Derek’s, who let out a mumbled noise in response. 

“Well, I guess we’re back to the honeymoon phase.” Peter told his niece as she looked at him, her still snarling sister and then back at a peeved Jordan. “Take your sister; I have some things I need to take care of before tomorrow.” He looked at Void who was content he guessed to be all but smothered by Derek. Laura took Cora and walked towards Jordan who frowned as Cora snapped her jaw at him. 

“They started it.” Jordan snapped in his defense.   
“What’s happening tomorrow? “ 

Peter looked at his niece and smiled, “I have to go to Oak Creek for a little while with Derek and Void. You’ll have to be good, can you do that?” his niece only smiled widely at him and agreed with a nod and a playful grin. His younger niece still only stared at Jordan with a look of irritation. 

“Then what do you have to do today?” she asked him. 

“Just need to obtain what I need for tomorrow, I’ll be back in the afternoon tomorrow for Void and Derek.” 

She looked at him curiously, but accepted what he said. She enjoyed Oak creek, but she had been spoiled by living here, wanting more of the comforts that were here then the basics that existed in Oak creek, to her it was a simply a vacation spot to meet with outer packs. 

“Oh.” She shifted Cora a little higher and away from Jordan. “But you three will be back?” 

Peter placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Of course.”   
…

In the Matthews home, John was sitting in the living room with Martha Matthews sitting on the sofa across from him. On the table in between them was a book, it caught Johns attention because it was different, on the cover was a tree, a very familiar tree. A tree that his son had been drawing over and over, John was very familiar with that tree. 

“I have always been very careful with what she was exposed to. After what happened to her mother and my brother, her father…I made sure to be observant with what she was exposed to, both in and outside of the house.” Martha began, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. “That book is not hers; I found it hidden in her room, along with some notes.” 

John reached for the book, there was a sense of foreboding that seemed to slam into him as he held the book and brought it towards him. He looked over the book, it was beautiful but there was no name for the illustrator and author. 

“She believed in monsters, not like a child does where you can convince them that it’s not real, she had an actual belief, to her monsters were real. It was like that for my brother too, and then he was just gone one day.” there was frantic tone to her voice. 

“Had she mentioned anything about Derek to you?” John asked as he looked through the pages of the book. There were mentions of old gods, human sacrifices and half breeds and abominations that changed the world into the one they knew now. This was a strange book, but his son was a witch and his wife’s family a long line of witches that were well known, their own coven, and one day his son would be a member. A powerful witch that would change the world, knowing that he knew he needed to look at anything with a new set of eyes. 

“Yes, she mentioned that boy to me.” She reached for her glass of tea on the table and drank it down before continuing. “She was surprised, she had been aware of him, they had been in same class before, and then suddenly she was the center of his attention. She was worried, confused by happy, so happy. Then she was talking about monsters, demons and a crack in some seal. A nightmare world that was going to be unleashed, “she paused as she composed herself. “That boy did something to her, something happened in those woods, something happened to her and there being allowed to lie about it because there Hales.” She finished with a hiss. 

“I believe you.” John told her, confiding a secret to her without thinking. “There is something about Beacon Hills. Something dark and I think it chooses certain people…” he stopped talking when her hand was suddenly on his and squeezing it. 

“They want something of yours, don’t they.” she asked looking at him with understanding and trepidation. 

John stared at her, “Did they want Paige?”

“I believed my child to be safe, I did my best to keep her safe, but it didn’t matter. They took her from my very house, they walked her off into those woods….” she tightened her grip on his a little too tightly for it to be comfortable. ““They’ll take it, like they did Paige and there will be nothing you can do.” She leaned away from him and placed her hand back on her lap with the other. 

“Monday is her funeral, I know what they’re saying about her, it will be private, and I want to bury her in peace.” She leaned back in her chair and sighed. 

John understood, the search for Paige had turned into a circus. The Sheriff had seemed more concerned with keeping the Hales out of it then finding Paige. 

“Can I take this, maybe I can find something about this?” John asked holding the book a little higher. She nodded and reached for the pitcher of tea to refill her glass. 

“I want the truth Deputy Stilinski. I want to know why my little girl was missing, what happened to her and why she is dead. Please, find that for me. I can tell it from your eyes that you know; you suspect there is much more than their all saying.”   
……………….

Laura and Parrish were down stairs with Cora, arguing over some show on the television, his mother and father had retired early and his grandmother had simple headed to her room to watch her soaps. Peter had left to pick up whatever he needed for tomorrow. Derek didn’t question, he trusted the words of his pack, even Peter, though he still felt irritated about how close Void and Peter were. His sister said it was just his jealously, since the bond hadn’t been completed. 

Bonds, Derek glared at the book he was supposed to be reading for class. He was still on the same page. The little witch had created a bond with Void, it was still weak, still easily broken and tomorrow it would be. Both would be weak, it had taken a lot of magic to do what he had done. To create the illusion around the preserve and them, to block the door, trick Paige and then offer her as a sacrifice. Whatever magic was there was resetting, it had been too much too soon, and rest was what was needed. Leaving both Gemin and Void weak, meaning now was the time to sever the bond. 

He looked at Void who was asleep on the bed beside him, curled up on one of his shirts that he had thrown on the bed, it made him feel better. Void didn’t speak about what he did, every time he tried, he broke down into sobs, which was fine, and Derek didn’t want to talk about it either. 

He had found the perfect body for the fox, his grandmother had mentioned that the fox would need to choose his own body, but he didn’t think Void would. He wasn’t meant to be a skin walker like them, he was a fox, and he didn’t want to live in the body of someone who had been hunted, gutted and cleaned for him to do so. 

His smart mate had made sure that Paige couldn’t be used unless he wanted it to be. There’d be no forcing him into a body if he didn’t want it. Right now all was forgiven, and it was peaceful. He’d enjoy it while it lasted, since tomorrow Void would be in shambles, the witch was to be prepared tonight for the sacrifice tomorrow. 

He placed the book down and rolled onto his side so he could curve himself around the sleeping fox. Stroking along his fur and thinking to himself that he wished their lives were a little bit easier. Once the little witch was gone, it would be. Once he replaced that bond with his own, they’d be happy. 

“I didn’t think I’d have a mate, but then I heard you.” He told him, “I can be patient.” 

Void moved closer to him, cuddling against him. He made a purring noise when Derek moved him closer.   
…………..

Claudia was preparing dinner, the boys playing in the backyard pretending to be explorers and searching for some lost friend in the tree line. She smiled, Gemin was growing into his powers, and it was simple for him, that she was grateful for. She looked out the window, the boys were still there playing, looking happy. She glanced away to check the clock over the doorway, John was running late. She took one last look at the children and moved towards her phone. The last time John had been late there had been an animal attack on a set of campers. She just hopped that everything was okay.

While Claudia was calling John, a hound was waiting in the tree line. He had been watching the children playing and the woman who was watching them leave. Once she was out of his outsight he had made his way to the children. At first he was unnoticed by them, both children stopped moving and talking, they were now just staring at him. 

“I’m sure Void spoke to you about me, my name is Peter.” He told them seeing the tension in the children fade and then there was curiosity. He smiled at them holding out his hands for them to take. “I can take you to him, someplace safe from the others, just for a little while.” He told them smiling. “We all have to be home in time for dinner.” 

Gemin looked behind him at the house, Scott was holding his hand and waiting for his decision. 

“Back before dinner right?” Gemin asked, then looking at his friend who was staring wide eyed at Peter. Scott looked at him and nodded, ever the trusting one, Gemin nodded and released Scott’s hand. 

“I wouldn’t lie about that, especially to friends of Void.” There was sweetness to his voice that made both boys smile, and take his hands. “He’ll be so happy to see you, Void has been very worried about you both. “ Peter squeezed both boys hand and smiled. “He’ll be so happy to see you.”   
……………

John answered on the fifth ring; he could tell from the caller ID that it was the house. He would call her if he was running late, but today he hadn’t, he just really wanted to speak to someone about this case. Looking at the book that was sitting on the passenger seat of his patrol car he smiled and greeted his wife. 

“Claudia, I know I’m running late but I’m heading home now. “ He told her, amused and pleased that his wife cared so much about him. “How are the boys, they miss me yet?” 

“Right now there searching for their imaginary friend, he’s being held captive by his possessive husband. I think I might have gone overboard with the fairy tales, but no magical mishaps today.” She told him, he could picture her smiling sweetly. 

“But no magical mishaps are great, his eyes aren’t glowing are they?” he asked. 

“No, but there is something strange, earlier today Gemin and Scott were talking about Hell hounds, about a pack of them and their imaginary friend being a part of the pack.” His eyes went back to the book on the passenger seat, he hadn’t read through it but from he had seen there were a few pictures that showed a giant black dog. “I thought it was kind of cute that a fox and hound are together.” 

He was a cop, and that statement stopped him, he knew that in the notes, the random little strips of paper Paige had thought she had hidden in the flap of the book, there was a mention of a fox, a fox that she had upset. A fox that she had upset, and a boy, his human form. The thought nagged at him, like Mrs. Matthews warning, if he had something that they wanted, he couldn’t stop them from taking it. 

“I’ll be home soon, talk to you in about 15 minutes.” He told her, he listened to her agree and tell him that she loved him and the kids were waiting at home for him.   
………

Claudia smiled and headed back to the kitchen, she had been worried about John, he was a punctual man, a responsible man, so him being late was something that she knew not to expect unless he left word for her that he was going to be late. Looking back out the window, she noticed that both boys were missing, thinking at first that the two had headed indoors and she had missed them, she called out for them. 

“Gemin, Scott!!” she called. When she heard no response, not even the shuffling of children trying to hide a secret, she could feel a sense of dread starting to build in her stomach and settle somewhere over her heart. “Gemin, Scott!!” she yelled a little more frantic and a little louder. There was no sound, there was nothing. The dread was now squeezing her heart. She checked the house, climbed the stairs to her son’s bedroom and checked inside, her parents had sent some wards, protection and a spell that kept the monsters at bay. 

She knew from the jasnowidz that her son was to be a powerful witch, he’d change the world. 

“Gemin! Scott!” she called again, screaming their names. Again there was no answer, she ran down the stairs and into the backyard, yelling their names again, as loud as she could.   
….

Lydia dreamt, in the safety of her room tucked in her bed lovingly by her mother and kissed on the forehead by her father with the promise of always loving her no matter what. In her dream she was somewhere far away, she was walking up a path to the church, feet bare and still in her pajamas. She looked around her, the area was really quiet but there were things, glowing eyes in the tree line that surrounded the church, and they all seemed to be staring at her. 

She continued up the path, the closer she came to the church, the more she began to notice several things. One was the sound, it was crying, loud crying, and it made her feel sad. Behind those closed doors was someone that needed help, she also noticed the stains, on the steps, red stains, like someone had been finger painting and ran their fingers up each step to the door. She carefully avoided the red stains and made her way to the doors. They seemed so heavy; she doubted that she could open them on her own. She reached up and grabbed one of the circular door handles and pulled. It didn’t even budge. 

She frowned and pulled on it again, using her body weight to help, it opened but just barely and that was enough. The crying had changed to screaming and the smell, she couldn’t place it but the smell had her backing away from the door, had her stumbling down the steps on to her floor. She sat there staring, hearing the screaming, as it grew louder and louder till she had to cover her ears to try and stop it, to ease the pain. But it seemed only to amplify it, she couldn’t move from her spot on the ground, knees dragged up to her chest and ears covered. She could only listen, and the smell, it seemed to be getting stronger. Like it was moving closer to her. The screaming stopped the moment she felt two hands grab her wrists; she looked at the bloody face of Scott McCall, a boy she had been in the same school as since kindergarten. He was staring at her with milky white eyes and his skin it looked like it was slowly being peeled off, dripping off him like wax from a candle. 

He pulled her closer and she could see it in his eyes, the monsters, the old ones clamoring over each other as they pulled themselves out of the abyss, screeching and howling as they waited, the only thing stopping them was an seal, a cracked seal that was barely holding on, the last thing. 

“We will rise again, the old gods will return, their souls are but a light, their shared spark is but a key and the hellhound will wield it to open the lock and our chains will fall, we will rise again. The world will remember us, why they feared us, we will rise again banshee, scream, so all will know that the sacrifice is accepted.” 

The milky white eyes continued to stare into hers, even while she herself was screaming.


	8. Stiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One stubborn child refused to let go, and he corrupted a demon. Made it think like him, feel like him, till it was him. The demon couldn't let the child go, so he swallowed him whole, making the child like him, till it was him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I finished the final chapter, it went through so may changes and drafts, but yay!!

Once upon a time there was a place named Beacon Hills, it was surrounded on all sides by what the locals called the preserve. The people in the town were a combination of humans and monsters or demons depending on who you were speaking to. Some knew about the supernatural and some didn’t, but all knew how to survive, they had to, or end up another name on a missing persons poster, meet their end due to a fatal animal attack, or be another unsolved case with undetermined listed as their reason for being deceased.

But this story isn’t about them, not yet. This story is about four individuals, this is their fairy tale and it was never going to have a happy ending. 

Gemin Stilinski was a special child, an only child. He was curious, always wanted to know more and had to know everything. He had been prone to obsessions in his search for knowledge, but he was a smart one, a strange one. To the humans he was a strange child, to the supernatural he was a witch, a danger to them if left unchecked. To his mother’s family and the coven he would one day be a part of, he was going to be a very powerful witch, a world changer. He would change the world one day, but not in the way they had believed. 

Gemin Stilinski was special. He had a counterpart, a familiar that happened to be a fox demon, the fourth in a litter of seven. 

Void had never believed himself to be special, but he believed, no he knew that Gemin was. Knew it the moment he had smelled him, heard him, felt him, he had known that Gemin was special. Special enough for him to bond with, to forsake everything else including his mate for, mates were special, to have found or been found by theirs at such a young age, was rare. But to Void, while he cared deeply and loved his mate, he wanted to be with Gemin, and he knew that he couldn’t have both. 

He may have been a child, but he didn't believe in happy endings. Gemin and Void both had that in common, even before Paige. 

Gemin had heard her name around the house, spoken in whispers between his father and his mother. He had only seen her face on the missing person posters. In her picture she had smiled sadly her eyes too old for her young face. Out of curiosity he had looked through her file, some of it hadn’t made sense to him. 

But he understood the words father, mother deceased, homicide and mentally unstable. He knew those words because he listened; he was very good at listening. It was how he knew all that he did. He knew that Scott's father had gotten drunk and had hit Scott, knocking him down some stairs. He knew that Paige had gone walking off with the Hales; after he had seen Derek he knew that the Hales were Hell Hounds. He had an idea about what might have happened to her, he also had an idea about what might have been happening to Void. He had spent some time on his father’s computer, looking up the mating habits of foxes, hounds/wolves and what the word meant. Wolves and foxes mated for life, well some foxes, he didn’t know what type of fox Void was. If Void wasn't the kind that did, then he was a prisoner, locked into a relationship that he could never leave from. He knew from his father, that a relationship like that was dangerous.

He didn’t like not knowing, it was dangerous not knowing. 

Scott and Paige were normal; they would have lived a long life, a somewhat normal life. But it was who they had let into their lives that changed that. 

For Scott it was Gemin and Void. For Paige it had been Derek. 

The intersections of their lives had started the fairy tale, but it wouldn’t have a happy ending.  
……………..

Claudia had been told over and over that the child she would have, would be special. So very special, a powerful witch, and that she must watch him. He would be vulnerable to many things until he was old enough to join the coven and came fully into his abilities. Her parents had always told her over and over that John, her and Gemin should move in with them. Be closer to the coven that her son would one day add his power to. She had refused to go back, regardless of what she had been raised around and seen, all she wanted was her son to have a normal life. 

After some convincing, her parents had relented. They sent protections and warding for the house and the property it resided on, the coven did blessings and reminded her that they would always be there for her and her child. While she wasn’t born with abilities or even a basic talent for magic, she had selfishly expected the same for her son. She had believed that she could raise him safely, normally, with her husband, without being in and under the protection of the coven. 

Only in her selfishness she had failed, she had looked away for only a moment but that was all it took. 

Her child was gone. 

Her child and his best friend were missing. 

Gemin and Scott were missing, she had looked away, and she had lost her child and Melissa’s. 

When John had returned, she had told him everything, had pointed at the last place that she had seen them. The look on his face, the brief glimpse of blame in his eyes had made her feel smaller and guiltier than she already did. 

“They must have gone into the preserve.” She told him, “They were in the tree line; I looked away for just a moment, just to call you and then they were gone.” 

John was already on the phone, calling it in, he looked at her as he did. The fear and blame in his eyes, matched what she knew her own eyes would always hold every time she would look into a mirror. 

“I looked away for a moment John.” 

“Donati, I need deputies and the sheriff, Gemin and Scott are missing.” 

She paced in front of her husband, her arms wrapping around herself, she looked out the windows and waited. Hoping that at any moment the two of them would be running in to the house, telling her about some imaginary adventure or apologizing for worrying her. But as time passed, as the minutes passed, she doubted that was the case. As time passed, her fears and the anxiety grew. 

She knew the procedure for a missing person, a missing child, missing children, but right now her memory wasn’t working. She couldn’t remember what they had been wearing. She couldn’t give a description of what Gemin and Scott where wearing. 

“I can’t remember what they were wearing.” She told John, feeling the panic tighten in her chest, making it harder to breath, but her heart just kept pumping faster and faster, louder and louder. She was having a panic attack. 

John hung up the phone and reached for her. 

“I can’t remember what they were wearing.” she repeated louder, her hands going to her chest, as if that could keep her heart from forcing its way out.

“Breathe Claudia, breathe with me.” John ordered her, his hands on her shoulders. “Breathe like me, breathe with me.” 

“I don’t remember what they were wearing, oh god John, I lost them, I lost our baby.” 

John pulled her to him, hugging her to him tightly, “Breathe Claudia, you just have to breathe.” He told her, softer now. 

“Oh god John, I lost our baby.” She cried.  
………………….

Peter walked them deeper into the preserve, a child on each hand. Scott was so trusting, smiling and asking questions, while Gemin was getting quieter the further they went in. They were leaving Beacon Hills, using a path in the preserve; he was taking them to Oak Creek. 

Oak Creek existed on another realm, almost a mirror realm. It was vast, and had other names, but Oak Creek was their home. A small town surrounded on all sides by woods. It had everything that a modern little town would have. 

“Void will be so happy to see you.” He told them, “He’s been waiting for you two to visit for awhile.” 

“Awhile?” Scott asked. 

Peter smiled, he knew the boy could see his true face, but he was so trusting. Peter glanced at the now docile Gemin. Oak Creek had a protection around it, a barrier spell that caused hunters and witches to fall into a trance. No matter how strong in strength and numbers the spell subdued them. It made them easy prey, malleable and in a trance like state. Gemin was getting quieter, just following where he was being led. Scott might have noticed something, seen something wrong about his friend, if he was more knowledgeable. Given the chance both would have been something amazing. 

“Oh yes, we are going to meet him in a special place, a safe place.” 

Scott nodded at Peter’s assurance, he understood that. After his father left, whenever they had to see him, it was always in a very public place with lots of people there. His mother always said it was just in case, he really didn’t understand why, but he knew it made his mother feel safer, so it made him feel better as well. Gemin would say it was so there would be witnesses, and witnesses meant bad things were less likely to happen. 

“Void didn’t get in trouble, did he?” Scott asked, the worry and guilt causing his voice to sound younger and make the speaker seem more fragile.

Peter squeezed the child’s hand in reassurance, “No, he didn’t” 

“Oh, that’s good.” Scott let out a sigh of relief, “Because he was just protecting us. He shouldn’t get in trouble for protecting us.”

Peter smiled at him, “He won’t.” he reassured him.  
…….

Martha was double checking that everything was perfect for her daughter’s funeral. It was going to be a private funeral; it would be just her and her husband, at the chapel. The last viewing of her child, the last time to see her before Paige was cremated. After some careful thought and a vicious argument with her husband, Martha had changed the funeral arrangement. The Hales had taken her child, they wouldn’t desecrate her body. 

Her husband Daniel was not pleased, he didn’t want to think of Paige’s body being burned, being destroyed, till there was nothing left but ashes. But to Martha, she had a feeling that the Hales were not done with her child. No one listened to her, the Sheriff and all but one deputy, had taken her grievance about the Hales seriously. They had something to do with Paige’s murder; she doubted that her child would or even could commit suicide. She doubted it greatly. Paige may have been awkward, mentally scared over what had she had seen as a child, but she wasn’t suicidal. Her daughter had been too excited about the change in her life. Dating, and kissing Derek Hale. 

She had failed Paige, she had let them take Paige, and she had given them permission. 

She would have to learn how to live with herself, but she doubted she would ever be able to forgive herself.  
………….

Melissa was on duty working the admissions desk when deputy Donati approached her. She at first thought there had been an accident that she had missed, until he placed his hand on hers. She knew that hand squeeze, it was meant to be comforting, she had given it time and time before.

“Melissa, I need you to come with me.” Deputy Donati told her softly. 

“What happened to Scott?” she asked him, her mind went straight to her son. “Is Scott okay?” 

Donati squeezed her hand, “Melissa, please just come with me.” 

“Tell me what happened to my son.” She hissed at him pulling her hand away from him. 

By now some nurses in the area were staring at them, Donati looked at them then back at Melissa. She was glaring at him. Donati let out a breath of air before he nodded. 

“It's about Scott and Gemin.” 

She stared at him,"What about Scott and Gemin?!” 

“It’s probably nothing...” he was interrupted by Melissa standing and walking away from him, leaving him to chase after her.  
…………..

Lydia still slept. 

She had gone to bed early, earlier than she would ever normally. 

She had just been so very tired; it had been so hard to keep her eyes open. She had been falling asleep during dinner, her mother had sent her to bed, her father carrying her to bed, complaining the whole time that this was Lorraine’s fault. Lydia had been asleep before her father had even laid her down on the bed. 

As she slept she dreamed, but her dreams were not happy ones. 

She had overheard her grandmother speak about dreams that seemed real, how those could follow you even in the daytime. But they were just dreams, and dreams could never hurt you. No matter how scary there were. 

Her dream felt like a nightmare, Scott was still there, what was left of his slashed skin was dripping off of him like wax. Around them she could see the shadows of monsters and running people, it was like a giant shadow puppet show happening all around her. The shadow monsters ate at the shadow people tearing them apart into pieces, but some of the shadow monsters and the shadow people changed, turned into other things, other types of shadows. 

“I wanted to be a veterinarian, I wanted to grow up, but now I never can.” 

She looked at Scott, he was fading away from her, “Scott” she whispered. 

“I’m a body in the abyss.” He told her, “I’ll never see my mom again. She’ll never know what happened to me, where to find me.” 

She looked back at the shadow puppets on the wall, seeing a change, instead of monsters it was a fox and a little boy dancing in what she guessed was fire, they danced faster and faster till the shadows merged, and the fire seemed to engulf them. Till there was just the shadow fire dancing, it seemed to go on forever till the fire fell away, and the shadow of the boy was staring at her. He danced for her, with little shadow strings holding him up and shadow hands working those strings. 

“Our parents will never know.” Scott told her, his voice was changing, fading, it was became hoarse and quieter, “You have to tell them.” After he spoke the shadows had faded away, till there was nothing. She looked back but Scott was gone as well. She was alone in some sort of room, like a chapel, but there were no pews, no signs of what religion this chapel represented. 

She turned as she heard the doors opening; the church doors had slammed shut once she had entered. Entering the church were three people, two younger children that she recognized but the older man that was with them she did not.

They didn’t see her.

They didn’t even know that she was there. 

She watched as the older man walked the two children towards the altar, he gave Scott something to drink, Gemin he placed on the altar. They were talking but she couldn’t hear them, not really, it was like when the volume on the TV was too low. After Scott had finished drinking whatever was in the cup, he just collapsed to the ground. 

The older man picked up Scott, carrying him over to a door with a large crack in it. She watched him push Scott into the hole, bending and shoving him in at sometimes, while Scott didn't seem to fight him, she knew he was screaming. The man moved towards Gemin next, he kept his back to her. She was grateful for that when he picked up a knife and moved it towards Gemin. 

She felt a hand place itself over her eyes, blocking her vision, she would have screamed but she knew the voice. Had heard it, so many times before, Gemin was behind her. He was the one blocking her vision with his own hand. 

“You don’t need to see that.” He told her. "I don't want you to remember me like that."

They stayed like that for awhile, till his hand was removed from her eyes. When she could see again she was in her room, and it was morning. 

Her mother was entering her room, about to say something but stopped and rushed over to her. 

The familiar feeling of her mother holding her and asking her what was wrong made her aware that she was crying, wailing to be exact, loud sobs that seemed to wrench themselves out of her.  


\------  
Monday came too soon.

The Sheriff’s department was looking for two missing children, the Matthews were attending Paige’s funeral and the school was open again. The town was speculating as to what had happened, this was the third missing person, all three under the age of 17. 

The rumors in the elementary and middle school were riddled with superstition, overheard speculation and the legends of the preserve. Cora ignored those that questioned her at the school. Tired of them asking her what had happened, and if her brother had really been dating the Matthews girl. Laura fared the same, everyone wanted to know what happened in the preserve, and she ignored them and continued on with her day. 

The adults intervened whenever it seemed the questioning was becoming closer to demanding answers, but there were some students who seemed to be protective of the Hales, and shooed the offending questioners away. Those were the supernatural ones, those who were part of the pack and others who were protected by it.

During lunch, Parrish and Laura ate in one of the stairwells.

“They are all so curious.” Laura whispered. “It’s annoying.” 

Parrish shrugged, he was always dragged into the Hale drama, he figured that he should be used to it by now. Only he wasn’t, he had his own drama with Lydia. She wasn’t going to school for the rest of the week, she was a banshee now. She wasn't supposed to be one yet, Parrish would bet money that it had something to do with Derek and Void. 

“I overheard from my dad, that the FBI might get involved.” Parrish offered, seeing Laura perk up slightly with interest at the information. “Hunters are probably going to start sniffing around, and maybe some witches.” 

Laura let out a quiet scoff, “To Beacon Hills?” she looked at the time on her watch and sighed. Her uncle should be heading back for her brother and Void. “This is the safest place for our kind, nothing happens to us here.” 

Parrish shrugged, his uncle and father worked in the sheriff’s department, and he had a good idea of what was happening. Both had been working double shifts on a lost cause, Gemin and Scott were never coming back, and neither were their bodies, well one of their bodies. He glanced around, from what he could tell there was no one near them.

“This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up; it will probably get worse before it gets better.” 

She stared at him, opening her bottled water. “When doesn’t it?” 

“My uncle sent the Matthews some flowers,” he admitted, “Today’s her funeral.” 

“A private funeral, and no Hales or anyone else allowed.” Laura reminded. “Paige was a threat, just like that little baby witch and we all know what happens to threats.” She added softly, “threats are meant to removed.” 

Parrish continued to play with the label of his coke bottle. He differed on that opinion, but he knew that speaking out against the alpha was not wanted or wise. Especially when it came to the inner pack, mainly her children. He only nodded, before removing the label and starting to tear it into tiny little pieces.

“I bet Monday funerals suck worse.” He muttered under his breath.  
……..

Void had been asleep for awhile, when he had woken up, he felt almost lethargic. He had struggled to move, even lifting his head, even thinking about moving had seemed impossible. He had never been or felt like that before, or ever. Even after using all that magic. 

Derek had been very careful with him. Carrying him to whatever room he wanted to be in, and then cuddling him when he had whined about feeling cold. Derek had even hand fed him almost his entire body weight in delicious just barely baked chocolaty gooey cookies until he had said no more. After being hand fed, Derek had carefully laid him down on the sofa when being cradled had been too uncomfortable. Now aside from the lethargic feeling he was close to being comatose. 

He looked at Derek who was judging him. He had been surprised when Derek hadn’t gone to school with the others; both Cora and Laura had gone to school. Derek was sitting on the couch beside him, reading some book that he rarely seemed to turn the pages on. They were waiting for Peter to come and collect them. 

He wondered if he could even move, much less leave if he was feeling like this. 

“I don’t want to go.” He mumbled. 

“What do you want to do?” Derek asked sounding too amused. 

“Eat more cookies and sleep.” He answered with a mumble. 

There was a noise that sounded like muffled laughter, but he didn’t want to think that Derek would be so cruel as to laugh at him. 

“Right, we’re going to Oak Creek.” Derek told him, “Maybe you’ll feel better after some time there.” 

Void frowned but refused to move, not like he could with his stuffed belly. “Cookies will make me feel better.” He whined, his voice mumbled to a barely able to be heard with magnified hearing tone. 

Derek let out a put upon sigh, “There will be no more cookies.” 

After the whine of injustice that expelled itself out of his lungs, the little fox drifted off to sleep again. This was a blessing to the other two, when it became clear to Derek that Peter smelled like blood and the little witch. Peter looked at them and sighed. 

“Telling him no doesn’t mean you care for him any less.” Peter reminded. 

“He was having problems with staying awake, so I gave him cookies.” There was a pleading tone in his voice, letting the old older hound know that something was bothering the younger one. 

“What do you mean?” 

“He couldn’t move, he could barely lift his head, speak, or even eat. I had to break the cookies into really small pieces, and he seemed to be struggling to stay awake.” Derek informed Peter. 

Peter looked at the sleeping pup, then back at his nephew. “We should go.” Peter watched as his nephew nodded and picked up the sleeping fox. “This shouldn’t take long.” He watched the sleeping fox, sensing as the heart rate and breathing had slowed. He should have been prepared for this; his nephew was staring at him with wide unsure and pleading eyes. “Let’s get going, shall we.”  
……..

When Gemin had been five he had accidentally followed his father into the morgue, the room had made an impression on him. The flickering lights, the metal slab like table in the middle of the room, and it had been so cold, and then there were the little metal drawers were the dead went to sleep. He had nightmares about that room for months. Sometimes he saw himself on that table or being placed in one of those little drawers. Locked away to sleep forever in a small cold metal drawer. Where no one would hear him scream, and no one could save him.

He would have believed that he had been in one of those dreams, but he had been too aware of everything that had happened to him. He just couldn’t move, talk or even try to save himself. 

But he remembered Peter, what Peter had done to him, what he had done to Scott. He would always remember it, the sound of Scott's screams and his bones breaking. He especially remembered being powerless, not even being able to scream as he was prepared to be worn by Void. Feeling that cold sharp knife cut into his skin, feel his bones being broken and pulled apart, his insides being removed. He would always remember it, always feel it.

Then to have Peter smoothing the hair away from his face, waiting for and watching as the life faded from his eyes. 

“You’re a fighter aren’t you? Trying so hard to live, to hold on,” Peter had whispered in awe, “But you have to let go, nothing good will come if you stay, just more pain.” Peter had traced one finger across his cold cheek. “That’s all you’ll feel till you let go, just more of this.” 

The last bit of life, the spark that clung on stubbornly to life didn’t even flicker as Peter spoke. It seemed to grow just a little brighter, an ember trying to become a blaze again. Peter had smiled down at him continuing to smooth the hair away from his pale face. He was dying, should have been dead, he had been ripped open from his just below his collar bone to the beginning of his pelvis. His organs removed, hallowed out so all that was left were broken bones, tissue and muscle. 

But his spark still held on, Peter had suggested it was because of the bond that he held with Void, keeping him there trapped in his dead flesh. 

“Stubborn child.” Peter had praised him while smiling and admiring his work. “But the perfect skin for our shared friend.“ He remembered the chuckle that Peter had given before he had left, leaving him there alone to stare at the ceiling with his unblinking eyes. 

He didn’t know how long he had been there, just left to lay there clinging on to life. But soon there was noise again, the sound of the heavy doors scrapping against the floor as they opened, he knew Peter was back, he could hear him but there was someone else with him. 

“He’s still asleep.” The new voice said. “He shouldn’t still be asleep.” 

“Just put him in carefully Derek.” Peter said, “Very carefully into the stomach.” 

He could hear them walking over to him, their feet heavy and loud on the floor. 

“Him, no, it can’t be him.” The young one yelled. "I wont let you put Void into that little witch."

Peter walked over to him, looking down at him. He could almost see his reflection in Peter’s eyes, his body torn open and hallowed out. 

“Sometimes a skin walker chooses him own skin, and this is who our little fox choose.” Peter smiled down at him, revealing some sharp and pointy teeth, “Our fox choose a powerful witch, who will make him strong.” Peter smoothed his hair away from his face. “He will be perfect.” 

Derek shook his head taking a step back with a hopefully sleeping fox in his arms. “No!” he told his uncle, he knew that body, he knew that witch. He knew a threat, and he wasn't going to put his mate in any more danger that he had already been in. “I’m not putting Void in him!” 

Peter sighed, but kept his hand close to Gemin’s face. Stroking a finger gently across it. “If you don’t Void and Gemin will fade away, that means they will die, they need each other Derek.” 

Derek didn’t look the least bit convinced. “I can find someone else or we dig up Paige, she not going to decompose.” 

“Derek, put Void in Gemin’s stomach.” Peter told him sounding annoyed. 

Hesitantly Derek walked over to the altar looking at the body. It had been hallowed out, the boy should have been dead, but he could see it in the dull eyes, the flicker of a spark clinging to life. 

“He’s not dead.” Derek snapped. “He’s supposed to be dead; it won’t work if he’s not dead.” He took a step back holding the baby fox a little tighter to his chest. “I’m not going to put him in there.” 

“Then Void never wakes up, and when that sparks in Gemin fades, so will Void.” Peter was looking at Gemin as he spoke, “Then both of them will be gone.” Peter was talking to them both now, “Who they were, would have been all gone.” 

Derek hesitated before walking over to them, he stared at the body. It didn’t look real; it seemed more like one of the wax figurines that he had seen once in the movies. He couldn’t bring himself to put his fox into that body. Peter placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle shove. 

“Do it now Derek.” Peter whispered to him. 

With some reluctance he placed the sleeping fox into the stomach, watching as Void curled himself into a ball to fit. Once he was inside the skin was slowly closing itself around the fox. Both watched with bated breath. Watching and waiting till all the skin had sewn itself back together, leaving only a fading red line, the only proof that anything had happened. 

But that was all, the eyes still remained opened and the skin pale and wax like. It was a healed corpse and nothing else. 

Derek looked at his uncle, who was watching with curious eyes. There was no panic in them so Derek tried to take comfort in that, since this was all new to him. 

“Is he supposed to wake up now?” Derek asked. 

Peter refrained from rolling his eyes at his special nephew.  
…………..

Gemin was in his bedroom, lying on his bed staring at the curled up fox that lay beside his head. The two of them were staring at each other, it was easy to think that what had happened earlier was just a dream. Only there was someone walking around the bed that could only be seen out of the corner of his eye. 

“I’m scared.” Gemin whispered. 

“What’s happening?” Void whispered back. 

“You are both dying.” The voice whispered as it moved closer to them, sounding like it was dragging itself closer. “You were born to become one, would have been the strongest they had ever seen, but you two can’t be anything anymore, because you both are now dying.” 

“I don’t want to die.” Gemin and Void both whispered. 

“You don’t want to die.” The voice repeated. “Both of you clinging to your lives, but you are both doing it wrong. You are not a separate entity anymore, you are one. You need to be one, to live.” 

The bed dipped but neither could see anything but the other, their eyes fixed on each other. The same eyes, staring from different faces, “I don’t want to die.” they both repeated. 

The voice let out a little laugh, moving towards them, its face shrouded in the darkness that was starting to set in. Both felt the hand that settled itself on their stomachs, the warmth it provided. “You are bound together, bonded.” Both could feel the warmth from the touch spread, “Normally I would not get involved, but for you, my cousin…I can make an exception.” 

The hand moved, rubbing his hand gently against their stomach. “We are different than the others; we are born from chaos, strife, the darkness that lingers in all things. You are a Nogitsune like me, I will teach you how to live, and you want to live cousin, you want to survive.”

“Yes.” Gemin and Void answered in unison. 

The warmth from the hand was getting warmer, “The moment you were both born, we all knew what was supposed to be.” The voice was getting softer, and the warmth was so soothing the two began to close their eyes and just started to drift off into sleep. “You will not die; you will become something more, what you were meant to be. All you have to do is let go.”  
………………

There was an Inn in Oak Creek, it was situated on the other side of the small town, and it faced the church. There was a room at the very top; it was larger than the others, a suite with double beds and a master bathroom. It was meant for comfort and long extended stays, for the guest that would almost be living there. There were three in the room at the moment, two hounds and a deceased child. 

The eyes had closed a few minutes ago, the spark that had been there was gone. Leaving one hound to pace the room, claws out, fully prepared to claw open the dead child’s stomach and tear out the fox that was inside. The skin around the stomach was unmoving, healed but unmoving. 

“He’s not waking up.” Derek said frantically. 

Peter was determined not to snap at his nephew, he too was unsure about what was happening, he had seen this and it hadn’t been like this. The child should be awake, the fox inside in control and struggling with the mechanics of being in a new body. Instead, this was happening. The child was dead; the fox might have been as well. This wasn’t what was supposed to have happened; he had been half lying to his nephew earlier, about the risk of not putting Void in correctly. 

“Give him time.” Peter reminded again. “It wasn’t exactly easy for him to get this far.” 

Derek continued to pace, staring at the boys stomach, moving closer to the bed with each pace. “I put him in, I did what you said and he still won’t wake up.” 

Peter ignored the accusation in his nephew’s voice. “If he doesn’t wake up, we will take him back to the church.” Peter answered, “I will cut Void out and you will find him another body.” 

Derek nodded, moving towards the bed eyes glowing red. Staring at the faint almost completely faded red line that ran from the boy’s collar bone to his pelvis. There was no movement, just a slight lump where the fox slept, but Void was never a peaceful sleeper. He moved in his sleep, curled up into the warmth, he was the most aggressive little spoon that ever existed. 

“How long are we supposed to wait?” Derek hissed. 

“Give him time.” Peter repeated.  


“How much time is that supposed to be!?” Derek demanded. 

“Give him time Derek.” Peter repeated. “He’ll wake up. Knowing Void, he is sleeping off those cookies you feed him.” 

Derek glared at him.  
…………..

There was an in between, a purgatory that rested just between the realms, not many had ever been there or even wanted to view it. It was a place between life and death, where those that had never really existed waited. 

The Nogitsune watched from there, a shadow in the darkness, as life was being created. He watched the hounds as they waited, he especially watched the seer, the prophet for the times to come. He enjoyed the confusion and panic that tried to remain hidden, he watched as the two last sparks of life merged in the stomach of that very special child. 

Neither was able to let go of the other, instead they clung to each other, devoured each other till two became one, and something new was born. Life was rising from the ashes, life that recognized him and saw him as someone they could trust. 

In this realm that life was swirling, not yet ready to return to the body it was meant to inhabit. He smiled and waited, giving that new life a gentle push with his own magic, reminding it that had to go back to that body. The new life danced around him, playful, curious and so very bright. It pulsed and danced around him, asking nonverbal questions and brushing itself against him. He gave the child another push, it started to head towards the body on the bed. It pulsed brightly one more time before it left, saying it's goodbye.

When the light left him, gleeful at something new, the Nogitsune smiled. Chaos had come again, he had a door way in all he had to do was wait for it to be open wide enough for him to enter. And it would, his new cousin would be a sight to behold, and he would lead him every step of the way.  
………..

Both hounds froze as the air seemed to change around them. The child on the bed was regaining its color, the red mark was gone and the skin on the stomach moved, it seemed to roll like dough letting them both know that the fox was moving, shifting. Finding a comfortable spot to rest in, with the movement in the stomach came the sound of breathing. The moving of the chest and a twitching to the body, the skin on the stomach moved again, stretching into the outline of a stretching fox, stretching it’s paws and spine up, the rest of the body seemed to rise as well, the chest moving up but the shoulders, neck and head hung limp. 

They both could hear the sound, the whine and yawn. Soon the fox settled and the body returned to the bed, now in an uncomfortable looking heap. Derek and Peter watched with wide eyes, especially when the breathing started, it was coming from the lungs and not where it should have been right now, there was no sound from the sleeping fox. A few seconds after the breathing started, they could hear a heart start beating. 

Derek felt panic, the body was coming back to life, and the fox was fading. The sounds coming from the fox were fading, slowing till there was nothing. Derek made an attempt to lounge at the body, determined to tear Void out. Only Peter stopped him, grabbing him and holding him tightly before he could. 

“Look at him Derek; this is what is supposed to be happening.” Peter reminded him. 

Derek tried to move away again, tried to make his way to the bed to Void. He could still feel him; it was faint, but still there. The pull was still there, but it felt different, consuming. It felt like a noose around his neck when the body’s eyes opened. 

The boy’s eyes opened the same bright amber. Glowing just as brightly, looking the very same that they had when he last seen them. 

Derek slumped into his uncles’ hold; the boy turned his head to stare at him, at them. 

“Void?” Derek whispered, hearing the pleading sound in his own voice. 

The boy continued to stare at them; he blinked his eyes a few times, opening his mouth a few times as well. But there was no sound but his breathing, no words, moans or grunts. 

“Gemin.” Derek hissed. 

“Can you speak yet?” Peter asked. “Is there something that you need us to do, to help, what do you need?” 

The boy’s hands moved to wrap themselves around his stomach. He continued to stare at them, opening his mouth in an attempt to form words, but nothing happened. No sound came out, just his breathing. 

“You’ll learn control soon; you will need rest for awhile. Derek and I will watch over you, make sure everything is all right.” Peter told him, loosening his hold on Derek. 

Derek used this to his advantage as he all but threw himself on the bed and was crawling towards him. Derek desperately clung to him, checking him over, his own hand curling over the ones that were now laced together over the stomach. Derek could faintly hear it; the fox’s heart beating in unison with the one in the boy’s chest. 

“Void.” Derek whispered. “I can always get you a new body, we can always go back to the church, I can make it okay.” Keeping his eyes locked on the glowing amber ones that stared curiously into his. The boy shook his head awkwardly, opening his mouth again, letting out some type of noise that seemed to be forced out of him, pushed out. 

Derek leaned in closer to him. “What?”

“Stiles.” The boy whispered. 

“Who, what’s a Stiles?” Derek asked, looking him over quickly, then back to his uncle who was watching with curious fascination. 

“Stiles.” He repeated hoarsely. “My name is Stiles.” He closed his eyes, curling into Derek’s body. 

 

End book 1.  
…………….


End file.
